Delta State Government has issued no fewer than 1,540 demand notices to owners of landed properties located on the Core Area 2 of the capital city territory, Okpanam, requesting them to immediately visit the state ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Development to regularize all documents relating to the ownership and development of lands in that area.
The Chairman, Taskforce on the Regularization of Government lands in the area, Chief Frank Omare, who disclosed this to newsmen in Asaba yesterday, added that another 650 demand notices were also issued to owners of undeveloped lands in the area.
In a press briefing held on Monday October 17, 2016, Omare observed that the demand notices were issued to the affected land owners following a careful verification exercise carried out to ascertain the level of encroachment on the lands which, he said, had long being acquired by the state government.
He said the essence of the demand notices was not to witch-hunt anybody, but was aimed at regularizing and perfecting all documents relating to the acquisition and development of lands in that area, noting that only few land owners in that area have authentic Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and other relevant documents.
The taskforce Chairman disclosed that instead of a full payment for the acquisition of a Certificate of Occupancy, land survey and building approval, a 30 percent discount has been given to as many persons who would turn for the regularization exercise before the expiration of a 90 day ultimatum which started counting last Thursday.
Omare stressed that it is not the desire of the state government to demolish the houses of citizens in the state, particularly in the light of the lingering economic slump, but warned that government would be left with no alternative should the affected persons remain adamant to its appeals.
“As a government, we are appealing to all affected persons in that area. At present, nobody wants to demolish any house in that area, but we must compel everybody to go and regularize their documents so that we will have sanity and a clear cut of what we are doing.
“At the expiration of the 90 days, government must be government because we cannot allow people to keep taking laws into their hands, if you have any issue, go and sort it out in the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Development and you will be cleared. But if you are not cleared there, then you can come to this office (Taskforce on Regularization of Government Lands) and you will be cleared”, he said.
The author, Joshua Erubami, can be reached via 08065108405 or Erubami26@gmail.com
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