…reiterates zero-tolerance for land grabbing
By Henry Oqua
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has hailed the achievement of the first Edo-born President of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Johnbull Amayaevbo, declaring that the whole State will share in his glory.
The Governor made this statement when he received Mr. Amayaevbo, and his delegation from the Institute, at the Government House in Benin City, on Wednesday, November 9 2022.
Obaseki said he was honored to have been the first Governor the new President of the NIESV visited after his inauguration, adding that the gesture was well cherished.
“I want to thank you for acknowledging home. After this elevation, the first port of call was to visit me, your Governor. You could have gone elsewhere after your inauguration but you decided to start from home and we appreciate and cherish this gesture.
“We are thrilled because you are the first Edo person to occupy this position since the creation of the institution, it is no mean feat and we also share and bask in your glory as it is also our glory and success,” the Governor said.
During the courtesy visit, the NIESV delegation commended the Edo State Governor for his steady leadership of the State which has resulted in economic development and improvement in the quality of life of Edo residents.
“Your ability to build a great thing with the expertise to deliver on promises for the State marks you out as an outstanding administrator.
“You have proven yourself as a technocrat with a very good grasp of the importance of using eggheads to drive the people-oriented vision and economic development plans and program,” Amayaevbo said.
Raising areas of concern to the institute, the NIESV President highlighted the situation in the Edo State Polytechnic Usen, where he lamented that the Department of Estate Management has not been accredited.
He announced the institute’s decision to donate to the departmental library in the polytechnic while calling on the State Government to ensure the department gets accredited.
Responding, Obaseki pointed out that plans are already in place to rebuild the department of Estate Management in Edo Polytechnic, Usen, as part of the strategic plan to build the professional capacity required for the development the government is embarking on in the physical environment.
“You have assumed office at a very important time for us as a State. I believe you have seen the challenges and reforms that we have been undertaking in the built environment and land-use in the State. We are not a government that is reluctant to take on challenges especially when we know that those reforms will be for the greater good of our people.
“We are going to be investing massively in the Edo State Polytechnic in Usen. In next year’s budget, we are making adequate provisions to rebuild the school of Estate Management and Survey.
“We assure you that you will be invited to help us lay the foundation of a new school that will be completed in 12 months because we need the institutions to train the quality and quantity of manpower we require to undertake the massive initiatives we have for our physical environment. This is part of our strategic plan to develop the manpower required to do the things we have set out to do,” he added.
Mr. Obaseki used the opportunity of the NIESV’s courtesy visit to reiterate his administration’s stance against land grabbing and the measures put in place to rid Edo State of land grabbers.
He also lamented the lack of proper government policies over the years which left land administration in the hands of criminal elements who continued to exploit unsuspecting citizens by illegally selling government land to them.
“You know the value we place on land and landed assets, unfortunately in the last several decades, we have had almost a breakdown of our cherished inheritance in terms of land administration in Edo.
“From our empire days, we have had one of the best and most effective land administration systems in this part of the world but over the last few decades that practically collapsed so with the team I have in place, we are trying to reenact our laws and rebuild the traditions we have in terms of managing our built space.
“Because of the breakdown of law and order, we have had a situation where we have had to deal with land grabbing as a major issue and also the unauthorized and indiscriminate sale of land by non-state actors.
“We’ve also had a situation where the government has not lived up to its responsibilities by ensuring an adequate supply of land and planned environment to citizens. But in spite of all of that, we are determined as a state to restore order and create a conducive environment for investors to come in and freely and openly acquire land assets for economic purposes.
“In the last one week, we have promulgated two laws to help us restructure land use, building permits and every aspect of land administration in the State,” the Governor added.
On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, Governor Obaseki signed into law the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency which will address the indiscriminate building of structures without approvals from the relevant agency as well as other issues relating to the development of the physical space in Edo.
