Edo Govt Investigating 17-Year-Old’s Purchase Of 14,000 Hectares Of Land
The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, said he suspended the signing of Certificates of Occupancy to property owners because of the alleged possession of about 14,000 hectares of land by a 17-year-old.
Okpebholo stated this during an audience with members of the Shift Najia Initiative, a Non-governmental organisation in Benin City.
Okpebholo said the investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the source of livelihood of the possessor of the land to be able to acquire such a large expanse of land.
He added that the signing of the certificates would commence after the investigation, assuring that the C-of-Os have already been printed.
Okpebholo also decried the alleged encroachment on the Edo State Specialist Hospital land by the management of the Museum of West African Art, MOWAA, noting that by the encroachment, 20 per cent of the land is now left for the state government, while 80 per cent is for the MOWAA.
According to him, the Edo Specialist Hospital land has been encroached upon by the management of the Museum of West African Art, MOWAA, despite the demarcation.
“That land and the hospital belonged to the state government. MOWAA is a private establishment, and it can’t take 80 per cent of the land and leave 20 per cent for the hospital.
“In that hospital, we don’t have a mortuary facility. There is also no emergency ward. Whenever you come there you see patients and relatives sitting outside. We need to make it a real hospital for patients to have good medical attention”, he said.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
