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| Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma |
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on Monday warned that the government would soon commence demolition of properties illegally sited on government lands particularly structures built on Federal Government railway line.
The State Commissioner for Land, Survey and Physical Planning, Eyinnaya Onuegbu disclosed this in his office at the state secretariat, Owerri on Monday.
According to him, there would be no sacred cow, adding that federal parastatals also involved would be treated same way.
Onuegbu while stating some of the achievements of his ministry since the inception of Governor Uzodinma also noted the government would no longer tolerate indiscriminate allocation of land without following due processes.
He maintained that it has been the practice of the previous governments in the State, but stated that the government would never allow that to continue adding that if not tackled now it may disrupt the Master plan of the State.
The commissioner however warned those occupying such lands to relocate or have themselves to blame, saying that the State government would commence the demolition exercise in three monthsโ time after going through all the processes involved.
โWe are going to come down heavily on the illegal occupants on government land and properties, nobody would be spared, their activities would be looked into if they are obstructing the Master plan of the State.
โSome of the occupants who built residential houses on lands designated for markets and those who are trespassing on the land meant for railway line, they are to leave in their own interest,โ Onuegbu warned.
He also said that the current administration has checked the illegal issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, explaining that the practice as existed in the previous government has led to the State government having over 1,400 pending land cases in court.
He said: โIn the past government documents were duplicated into three titles over one land, this happens because certificate of occupancy was in various hands; it was being issued in the ministry of land and, bureau of lands even from Government House.
โWhen they create land they give C of O, to three to four people allocation over one plot of land that led to the ministry having over 1,400 pending land cases before I assumed office,โ Onuegbu said.
