Rivers Community Inaugurates Committee To End Land grabbing, fraudulent Sales
Land grabbing and fraudulent sales will soon become a thing of the past as Elesa community in Rivers State, last Friday inaugurated Elesa Land Development Committee.(ELDEC) to put an end to the menace.
Paramount Ruler of Elesa Community, Emperor J. D. Mkpe, while inaugurating the committee, which is headed by a prominent businessman and community leader, Mr. Emmanuel Olaka, said ”Elesa is one of the 10 communities in Eleme and the first in Nigeria to play host to refineries.
”The Port Harcourt Refineries, 1&2 have a lot of pipelines surrounding us. We have contributed immensely to making sure Nigeria stands strong among other nations.
We are made up of 13 communities due to expansion. We embrace other people. You can see some people from Northern communities here with us.
We received series of disturbing information about fraudulent sales and land grabbing. We also have information about minors, who are not qualified to sell landed properties, selling land without the knowledge and consent of elders.
This is why we rise against bad land practice by inaugurating this committee today. This committee is to over see all issues relating to land sales and bring up reports.
We want to make the buyers and sellers feel very free in Alesa.
Let me warn in strong terms, if you buy or sell land in Alesa without the knowledge and consent of this committee, you are doing so at your own risk. We will track all sellers and buyers of land in Alesa, so people don’t buy land from either the wrong person’s or minors”
He said the era of cutting corners is gone because the community wants to protect their image and investors funds.
According to the Monarch, Alesa is partnering the Rivers State government to ensure that legitimate land buyers process their certificates of occupancy (CofO) smoothly.
Again he said the community will not hesitate to serve traditional injunctions on recalcitrant and fraudulent citizens.
To investors and prospective ones, he charged them to feel free, but warned that all landed properties must be developed, or risk forfeiture
to the Rivers State if after five years of acquisition, they remain undeveloped.
” You are not buying any land in perpetuity. There must be a percentage set aside for the children and grand children of the
aboriginal land owners so they can meet and enjoy the dividends of their father’s labour.
Responding on behalf of Alesa Land Development Committee, Chairman, Emmanuel Olaka appreciated the Paramount Ruler, Emperor Mkpe and the entire community for the call to serve and vowed to reciprocate the confidence reposed in him.
He said the committee will make Alesa proud, even as he solicited support from all.
A youth leader, Asorokote Benson,a woman Leader,Blessing Wuwu, a former councillor, Humphrey Dada Obele and Okenwii, a Paramount Ruler, all lauded the development, describing it as a bold step in the right direction.
In his remarks, My- ACE China, the Mayor of Housing commended the community for the initiative and for launching the war against Land grabbing and land fraud, noting that the development will fast track the Alesa Sustainable Green Smart city.
He urged other communities in Rivers and beyond, to borrow a leaf from Alesa community.