No going back on recovery of compromised sch lands – Abia govt
. As landlords cry out over demolition
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government has vowed to push ahead with the recovery of lands belonging to public schools in the state sold to private individuals by compromised officials during the past administration.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press briefing on the outcome of the state Executive Council meeting, said that the the Committee set up by the State Government for the recovery of the affected lands had commenced work at the Government College Umuahia.
The Commissioner regretted that over 180 schools were involved in the land racketeering.
He regretted that lands belonging to public schools were sold to private individuals during the past administration by corrupt officials of Government.
Meanwhile, landlords at Alaoji Ogbodudu, Umuana Ndume Ibeku, in Umuahia North Local Government Area, have cried out against the demolition of their structures by the Umuahia Capital Development Agency (UCDA).
The affected landlords accused UCDA of demolishing their structures without court order, claiming it amounts to use of force to eject them from their property.
One of the landlords, Mr Otuu Iwela, claimed that they legally acquired they land with the necessary approvals from Government.
Describing the demolition of their fences by UCDA as a violation of their rights, Mr Iwela, sought the urgent intervention of Gov. Alex Otti.
Another landlord, Mr Cyril Ogbu, explained that the allocation papers for the land were duly obtained from the Ministry of lands, and wondered what informed the action of UCDA.
He lamented the predicaments of the property owners over the demolition, and begged the Governor to call the agency to order.
” I’m yet to understand the reason for forcefully evicting me from my house which I obtained legally.”, he yelled.
“We bought the land with allocation papers. Before we started building, we went to Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UDCA) to register our buildings.
” They have brought down many fences, and gates including those of empty lands.”
When contacted however, the General Manager, UCDA, Kingsley Agomuo, said that the complainants were trespassers who encroached into public land.
He said the land in question belongs to Government College Umuahia, adding that Government is only recovering the land for the school .
He said that all the buildings would be forfeited to the school according to Government directive.
The UCDA boss said the agency was only acting on the directive of the State Government to recover illegally acquired lands belonging to public schools.
He regretted that lands belonging to over 170 public schools had been encroached into by private individuals with connivance of some compromised Government officials during the previous administration.
He disclosed that the current administration had resolved to recover all public lands illegally acquired by individuals.
” In the first place, they don’t have any right to erect buildings in that place. The land belongs to Government College Umuahia. The school has the Certificate of Occupancy of that place, and Government has not revoked it.
” Some of these people complaining now went and connived with some people from the Ministry of Lands during the past administration and collected allocation papers. But the Commissioner of Lands has since revoked those papers because the title still belongs to Government College. These people were given notices since last year to stop work and vacate that place but they ignored it.
” Government only demolished the fences but the building itself will be handed over to Government College as directed by the Governor. How can a private individual go and erect structure on school premises and fence it off?”
He added that even the host community had since distanced itself from the land racketeering, saying that those persons who sold the land to them are on their own.
” Even the community has said they never asked anybody to sell their land. So, those people who sold the land are on their own.”
Asked how Government would sanction the officials of the Ministry of Lands involved in the sharp practices, the UCDA boss said they victims should go and look for them for a refund of their money.
” These transactions have no documentation in any Government record. Some of the officials are no longer in the system. If someone gave you papers that are not genuine, you can’t hold Government responsible.”
On whether the victims will be compensated, he asked:”Is it for doing the wrong thing?”
He added that the encroachment was the “height of recklessness” on the part of the victims.
The UCDA boss decried the impunity at which lands belonging to public schools were sold to private individuals during the past administration.
“At Ibeku High School there is a bungalow there erected by a private individual who is there making his business but Government has taken over the structure”.
Agomuo further said that Government would recover school lands sold by Churches who collected back their schools from Government in the past.
” Some churches that received back their schools decided to sell part of the land but Government will revoke them because it means that the Church lacks the capacity to effectively run the schools.
