…as Monarch warns Ekiti indigenes against disposing birth right
A former Chairman of the Traditional Council in Ekiti state and the olojudo of Ido-Ekiti in Ido- Osi local government area ,Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro has alerted the indigenes of the state to take caution against selling their lands to strangers in the bid to make money.
Oba Faboro signalled that the disposed land could contain solid minerals and the attempt by land owners to retrieve it could be disastrous having sold it to the buyers. He lamented that the situation was the exact issue that occurred in the neighbouring Kwara state with disastrous effect.
This is just as the Technical adviser to Ekiti state governor on eGIS and Land Management, Mr Akintobi Oluwasanmi disclosed that critical infrastructure have been installed to capture the imagery of the entire state.
The duo spoke at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti during the opening of a 5-day technical mission designed to support fit -for-purpose land administration and titled “Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) Catalytic Intervention”.
The theme of the programme was :” Strengthening innovative approach towards enhanced land governance “
Oba Faboro said: “I commend the programme as they talked about conflict resolution and land use , especially there are certain laws that people don’t understand about land use . What is happening in Kwara now . people sell their lands to strangers. Just a scenario, a stranger will find gold in the land and then the land owners (omoonile) would come and say we sold the surface to you not what is inside .When people are disposing off their land they should understand that anything could happen on the land and you are selling your right. So people should know the implication of selling their land .
“People are selling lands all over Ekiti now to strangers and that’s what happened in Kwara. People sold their lands to strangers, strangers are now finding minerals, the omoonile want to claim their lands back. The strangers have money, they went to employ militia on omoonile . That’s what is happening. Its not about herdsmen or Fulani . its pure criminality and our people must understand it . if people make that mistake, whats happening in Kwara can happen here .People should know and not be too hungry and sell what belongs to them . Seminars like this should talk about that so that people should understand where problem can come from”.
The International Federation of Surveyors (FIG ) at the program commended the administration of the state Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for his transformative leadership in land management and Geographic Information Systems. The Chairperson FIG Africa Regional Network Ambassador Mohammed Kabir, mni gave the commendation at the event.
The global body, representing 120 member countries, through its FIG Africa Regional Network, lauded the giant strides being made in Ekiti State to enhance livelihood and security through the sophisticated development of state-wide survey, mapping and the landmark-Ekiti State Land Information Management System.
Ambassador Kabir revealed the body’s commitment “to providing technical capacity, training, and global partnership to support the state’s efforts.”
He underscored the critical nature of the current intervention by highlighting a national crisis where a mere 3% of Nigeria’s land has been formally documented despite over 141 years of effort.
The team lead explained that “the lack of accessible land records is a fundamental problem crippling national development, security, and effective planning”, stressing that “one cannot plan on what you don’t know.”
He illustrated that with proper data, a local farmer could obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and use it to access agricultural inputs proportionate to his farm size, thereby directly boosting productivity and livelihood.
Technical Adviser to the Governor, Oluwasanmi added that Continuous Operating Reference Stations have been harnessed as part of the effort to achieve accurate foundation for all future development as a direct response to the long-standing absence of a master plan in the state
The Technical Adviser noted that “a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the UN Habitat in June 2023 has advanced significantly” stressing that “the process has now reached the stage of a contribution agreement, which is undergoing final legal review.”
He added that “the development is a signal that the comprehensive master plan is on the immediate horizon and is expected to be drafted within the first six months of the project’s commencement”.