Land Grabbing in Edo: Comrade Oregbe commends Obaseki, insists those culpable must face the law

By Angela James,

The Coordinator, Edo State Tricycle and Motorcycle Riders Association, ANNEWATT, Comrade Omorodion Oregbe has commended the Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, for the decisive steps taken so far to recover government lands and determined onslaught against land grabbing in the state.

Speaking to our correspondent in his office in Benin on land grabbing and his personal experience with land speculators in the state, Comrade Oregbe described land grabbing and its perpetrators as the evil that has prevailed over the progress of Edo people and the state in general.

” I give ones thanks to the Governor of the state and his Royal Majesty, Iba Ewuare ll for putting an end the Community Development Associations, CDAs which came under another name to continue from where the CDAs stopped. What is the business of the Okaighale and Ohen in the sales of land? The spiritual function of the Community rest with the Ohen and they have no business in the sales of lands. Sales and allocation of lands is the responsibility of the Duke or Odionwere.”

Narrating his experience, Comrade Oregbe said all efforts to recover his burrow pit yielded no result as the authorities who were supposed to ensure justice was served in the matter became those that ensured that justice never prevailed.

” The security agencies that we’re involved in the matter couldn’t do anything. Even the petition I channeled to the palace of the Oba of Benin did not yield result. The traditional court has compromised and is not doing what it ought to do.”

While insisting that persons found culpable under the law should be prosecuted, Comrade Oregbe wondered why anyone has not being prosecuted under the law all this time.

On his reaction to the subsequent arrest of twenty-two (22) suspected land grabbers by the Edo State Police command, Comrade Oregbe commended Mr. Obaseki, for recovering the 1229 hectares of government land, encroached upon by land grabbers in Irhirhi-Obazagbon-Ogheghe Road axis and reiterated that all culpable persons must face the law of the land.

” A lot of persons has lost their money and lives due to the activities of land grabbers. Potential investors were driven away from the state because of the lingering issue of illegal land sales and land grabbing in the state. Edo people are not helping issues because of their questions for quick wealth.”

It would be recalled that Mr. Obaseki had earlier declared and advised: “We now have a detachment of the Special Forces that will work closely with the State government to arrest the incidence of illegal land sales and land grabbing over the next few months. For those who collected land illegally, especially government land, like public schools lands, they had better move out because with this Special Force, we are going to those communities to recover the property and prosecute the people involved.”