Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has given directive for the revocation and reallocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of all lands that have not been developed for three years commencing date of allocation.
Fayemi, according to Executive Order 008, stated that, “For this purpose, the erection of a fence around the property does not constitute development”.
In the Executive Order made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti by the Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, the governor also directed the Bureau of Lands to “give a 30-day full payment timeline to land allottees that developed their plots without completing payment for their allocations.
“The allocation to such allottees should be canceled and property forfeited to the government at the expiration of the 30 days’ deadline,” it stated.
Fapohunda said Executive Order 008 on the “Establishment and Implementation of the Ekiti State Land Administration and Management Project” was premised on the government’s concern about the increasing cases of land grabbing and other fraudulent land transactions and the need to curb immediately such unlawful activities in Ekiti State.
The Bureau is also to “give a 21-day full payment timeline to allottees who made only part-payment for the land allocated to them and have not developed it. Such allocations should be canceled and reallocated at the expiry of 21 days.
“Such allottees should further be advised to commence immediate development or have their allocations canceled and reallocated.
Among others, they are also to “enforce the full payment of land use charge before processing applications for Certificate of-Occupancy’.
The state government has also established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Lands and Related Matters in Ekiti State to, among others, “receive and examine complaints from individuals and corporate entities on matters arising from the implementation of the Executive Order and where necessary make recommendations to the Governor for remedial measures or any other measures as appropriate”.
The committee is also to “examine and ascertain whether government land or part of it has been illegally acquired /occupied/converted to private use and identify the persons responsible and make recommendations for recovery and appropriate sanctions.
It will also “examine complaints of fraudulent transactions by individuals, families, corporate entities concerning state lands and make recommendations for recovery and appropriate sanctions”.
