By Ozioruva Aliu
Residents of Oke-Oroma community, Benin City, Edo State, are in a frenzy mood, following the resolution of a lingering land dispute, as the state government commenced the issuance of allocation letters to eligible property owners, paving the way for the return of 2,950 plots of land.
NDV findings reveal that the move brings to close the controversy surrounding the demolition of structures in the community in September 2022, during the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The exercise affected approximately 1,550 victims whose homes and property were demolished as part of a broader reclamation drive that also impacted areas such as Irhirhi, Arogba, Obazagbon and Ogheghe.
The state government claimed that the land was acquired in 2017 for a new town project but that land speculators encroached on it. According to the government, the area repossessed used to be the Ogba Forest Reserve at the time of acquisition.
Frustration
The government added that the lands acquired were duly gazetted and that it tried severally to engage the four communities involved but they rebuffed entreaties.
The demolition left many residents and landowners devastated as they watched their investments go down in rubles.
Dejected and frustrated, the owners, among them, pensioners staged protest against the action of the government with many of them invoking curses on the then governor, who they said was responsible for the demolition.
Many of them were arrested and clamped into detention without trial for weeks as attested to by a house owner who does not want to be named.
“My house was already at roofing level when it was destroyed. We protested and I was arrested and dumped in the state CID for several weeks without trial,” he said.
Okpebholo’s pledge redeemed
However, Governor Okpebholo, who was then the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had during his campaign promised to return the land to its rightful owners if elected.
True to his word, Governor Okpebholo set up a committee to investigate the issue and return the land to its owners.
The committee, headed by Dr. Tony Ikpasaja, worked tirelessly to verify the documents of the affected property owners.
Yakubu Musa, the then Commissioner for Land and Housing, a few days before he was appointed the new Chief of Staff to the governor said the hopes of the victims of Oke-Oroma community have been restored as the government had authenticated the documents of the true owners of the properties and was issuing allocation letters to them.
His words, “Based on the approval of Gov Okpebholo to return the land seized by the previous administration at Oke-Oroma to developers, and property owners, we commenced a one week exercise to authenticate true owners of the land and return the same.
“We have commenced giving out the offer letters as we have about 1,550 beneficiaries that will be given letters to cover 2,950 plots of land.
“While distributing offer letters to beneficiaries, surveyors have started working on the land to physically demarcate the plots while bulldozers are already cleaning the plots and by next week the plots will be given back to the genuine owners.
“We commend the governor for showing that governance has a human face. Gov Okpebholo has brought joy to the hearts of the people of Oke-Oroma Community who thought they had lost all their investments.
“He promised during the campaign that he would return the land to genuine owners and that process has already commenced. This exercise has shown that governor Okpebholo truly loves Edo people as he ensured justice is served for the people of the community.”
Appreciation
The beneficiaries have expressed their gratitude to Governor Okpebholo for restoring their properties. Collins Ojo, the coordinator of the group, praised the governor for his commitment to justice and fairness.
The return of the land has brought joy to the hearts of the people of Oke-Oroma Community, who had thought they had lost their investments forever. The governor’s action has demonstrated that governance can have a human face.
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