Edo Assembly sends Land Grabbers Bill to Obaseki

Members of the Edo State House of Assembly have sent the bill for a law prohibiting the forceful and illegal occupation of landed property by Com­munity Development As­sociations in the state to Governor Godwin Obase­ki for assent.

A motion was moved by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Folly Ogedengbe and was sec­onded by Mrs Elizabeth Ativie that the house dis­solved into a committee of the whole to consider the bill.

The Speaker, Justin Okonoboh, said that the bill prohibits forceful and illegal occupation of land­ed property by CDAs.

He prescribed that no person or group of per­sons while acting for themselves or acting as agents or members of an association can forcefully take over a portion of land in the state.

“Or youth organisa­tion or any other body by whatever name called shall demand or collect any fee or levy in whatever guise in respect of con­struction or development activities on any property in Edo.

“’The bill also prescribed that a task force should be established in the state, which shall be responsible for the provisions of the said law,” he said.

Okonoboh noted that any person who contra­venes the provisions of the law commits an offence and shall be liable to ten years imprisonment or a fine of N2 million. - The Authority