Delta: GovOkowa in land acquisition scandal

…leave our land alone- Asaba community warns

Crisis is brewing between the Asaba community and the administration of Governor IfeanyiOkowa over government plans to acquire more lands for development, when previous acquisitions were allegedly diverted to private ownership. BARRY AGBANIGBI in Asaba reports
The lingering controversy surrounding land ownership in the Delta State capital, Asaba, re-echoed again when a group of indigenes alleged in a press statement that parcels of community land acquired by the former administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan for public use have been deployed for personal use against the spirit of existing land acquisition laws.

 
The 10-man contract committee on the De-Acquisition of Asaba Community Lands by the Delta State Government was appointed by the traditional ruler Asagba-in-Council to, among other issues, “negotiate with the Delta State Government regarding de-acquisition of some parcels of land acquired by the state government and eventual return of such lands to Asaba community.” In addition to ascertaining “the bona fide owners of the de-acquired parcels of land,” the group is expected to “discuss with the state government matters related to the use and management of the acquired lands.”
The crisis is coming in the wake of a recent decision by the state government of Dr.IfeanyiOkowa to acquire more lands for the development of the state capital.

 
Asaba community had in October last year requested for the return of the lands acquired illegally by the government when the town was named the capital of the state in the 1991 state creation exercise by the then Ibrahim Babangida military administration.
Land was not a major issue in Asaba before the town became capital of Delta State. A larger part of the land was underdeveloped and demand was relatively low. A good portion of land was acquired by non-indigenes particularly from the eastern part of Nigeria mostly for residential purposes.
The state creation changed all that. One of the first actions of the pioneer state administration led by then Group Capt. Luke Ochulor was to declare Asaba and the surrounding communities such as Okwe, Issele-Asagba and Okpanam Delta State Capital Territory.

 
Larger size of the underdeveloped lands was acquired by the government for public and developmental purposes. The land consist of the so-called Core Area which has the Government House, House of Assembly Complex, State Secretariat, High Court, and Federal Secretariat, Commissioners and Legislators Quarters and other residential quarters including the Delta Development and Property Authority (DDPA). The headquarters of the State Police command, hotels, guest houses and other businesses are located here.

 
Ordinarily, this should be a cause for joy for the indigenes of Asaba as the once sleepy provincial community has suddenly transformed into a modern town described by the state government as the “fastest growing state capital in Nigeria”.
Recent development, however, indicates that all is not well with the usually cordial relationship between the Asaba community and the state government. The source of an emerging frosty relationship is the allegation by a number of indigenes of the town that parcels of land acquired by the state government for public use have been sold to private individuals who in turn have converted them into residences and business houses.
This has not gone down with Asaba people who accused the former government of Uduaghan of breach of faith in the way acquired community land was being allegedly sold to non-indigenes, including government officials.

 
At a press briefing in the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof.) ChikeEdozien, the chairman of the aforementioned contact committee, Ambassador Leo Okogwu, said when the state was created in 1991, “the government acquired over 70 percent of Asaba community land purportedly for government use and developmental purposes. But to the chagrin of the Asaba community most of the acquired parcels of land ended up in private hands contrary to the dictates of the relevant acquisition laws of the country.”

 
Against this background of all aged “bastardization and indiscriminate sale of Asaba Lands,” the contact committee moved to stop the trend which, according to it, amounted to the indiscriminate use of their ancestral lands in such a manner that has rendered the community landless and to a greater extent jobless being a predominantly agrarian community.

 
The committee held series of meetings with the elders of the community and various stakeholders to arrest the ugly situation. Discussions were also held by some government officials, including the former commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Mr. Patrick Ferife, the former Chief Judge Musilun Smith, former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Uchie, and former Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr.FetusOkugbor.

 
According to the group, these efforts were fruitless and rather than abate the indiscriminate sale of land continued unchecked. They also accused officials of the Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development of conniving in the land deals without regard to the Asaba master plan. Citing some examples, the group said “The Lands earmarked for a modern traditional market and recreation Centre have all been converted into residential plots and sold off by officials of the state Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development.”

 
The group is quick to admit, however, that government officials are not alone in the racket. It accused the youth of the town of perpetrating the indiscriminate sale of land to buyers. They also pointed out that this act was with “the active collaboration of the officials of the state Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development who effectively and actively sponsored these youths in their nefarious acts.”
Some of those alleged to have acquired public land include a former commissioner of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, who was said to have acquired over 40 hectares. A former Surveyor General got more than 10 hectares in the Core Area just as a former head of service was said to have acquired more than 10 plots of government land, part of which was sold to a commercial bank.
The group’s allegations include several other instances of such land deals. According to it, “It is unfortunate that all attempts to institute meaningful dialogue with the state government has not yielded any result more so when the committee’s letters and memos to the government did not receive any acknowledgement.”

 
It would be recalled that the state House of Assembly investigated the allocation in the Core Area following complaints of impropriety in the disposal of lands. The report of the investigation is still being awaited.
Moreover, fresh crisis appears in the offing among the Asaba community over government’s decision to secure more lands for the development of the state capital, in spite of their request to return the illegally acquired land to the community.
A dispute has already emerged over who gets the de-acquired land as the various communities and families have begun to lay claims to the affected parcels of lands.