Abiodun gives out 5,000 C of Os to beneficiaries, says lands available to genuine investors
Ogun State Government has vowed to continue to make land available to genuine investors who are ready to do business in the state.
The state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, gave the pledge on Friday during the distribution of Certificates of Occupancy to 5,000 beneficiaries at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.
Governor Abiodun represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, said in keeping with the plans of the present administration to make the state the investors hub not only in Nigeria, but the West African sub-region, the process of acquiring land in the state has been automated to speed up the process.
He noted that it is no longer business as usual, as the Lands Department has been transformed to perform optimally, saying the distribution of 5000 CofO was a signpost that transparency is now the order of the day in the administration of land in the state.
The governor, who attributed the non performance of the Lands Department in the past to ‘cabals’ said the office is now operating on a clean slate as the former staff have been moved to make room for higher performance.
He sympathized with those who went through severe ordeal in accessing their land documents, saying with the documents, it would bring peace of mind and signifies that the land has been allocated to them.
The beneficiaries are applicants from the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS) and the immediate pass administration’s Home Owners Charter programme.
Abiodun handed over the CofOs to the beneficiaries, who included: the Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akanmo, Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Omoniyi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olukayode Ayilara and the State Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tiwalade Akingbade.
Abiodun said his administration created OLARMS, under the Bureau of Lands and Survey to eliminate the bottleneck in land administration and promote ease of doing business.
He urged residents of the state to take advantage of the programme to regularise their landed properties which according to him would enhance the value their properties, as they can be used as collaterals.
Abiodun said the programme would transform the business of land as it enables land and house owners get their CofOs within 30 days of putting in their applications.
“Today, I’m seeing so many people here who are here to collect their CofOs. During this period are giving out 5,000 CofOs.
“The first 5,000 certificates of occupancy is on various lands, whether you are on the Homeowners’ Charter or you are under PRP, there is no discrimination.
“Our lands department has been completely transformed. We decided that we are going to take an aggressive disposition at land administration.
“We want to make Ogun State the investor hub for Nigeria and this today marks a turning point, now the whole country knows that the business of land in Ogun State has been completely transformed”.
Earlier in his address, the Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Segun Fowora said the bureau was working towards doubling the number of beneficiaries by next year.
He said, the OLARMS programme provide numerous opportunities for land and house owners to obtain their land titles “to breathe life into dead assets, which does not serve any economic purpose.”
“Some of these opportunities include, but not limited to, guarantee of farmer identification and proof of ownership rights over a piece of land, which ensures security of tenure and facilitate subsequent transaction on land security of tenure and protection. against adverse claimants and trespass”, Fowora said.
