Ogun Govt Awards 5000 Certificates Of Occupancy To Beneficiaries
By Ayo Kareem, Ogun
Ogun State Government on Friday has been awarded 5000 certificates of occupancy to Beneficiaries in other to continue to make land available to genuine investors who are ready to do business in the state.
The state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, stated this at 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.
In their goodwill messages, Commissioner for Physical Planning, Hon. Tunji Odulami, said though the process started about six years ago through the Homeowner Charter put in place by the past administration, many people would not complete and access their land title documents.
He said the distribution of CofO to 5,000 people was an indication that the present administration apart from taking the bull by the horns, was a promise keeping government, urging the beneficiaries to complete the process by obtaining their building plans as well.
Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi, while congratulating the recipients, noted that the land documents given by the government would legitimize and prop up the value of their properties, calling on those yet to apply for theirs to do so without delay.
In his welcome address, Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Arch. Segun Fowora, noted that land plays important part in human activities as no activity could take place with land.
He said the introduction of the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLAMS), by the Governor Abiodun-led administration was to speed the process of land administration and make it seamless, maintaining that the Bureau of Lands would continue to implement the governor’s vision on land matters.
One of the recipients and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ayilara Adedoyin, lauded the state government for the initiative, noting that it would help in legitimizing their properties and give them peace of mind.