From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, alleged that some traditional rulers have been selling lands belonging to government.
He warned that his administration would take disciplinary action against any person found selling land in its forest reserves and plantation across the state.
Governor Abiodun, who spoke at a statutory meeting of the state Council of Obas, at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, described the action of the people, including some Obas who sell government land, as unpatriotic.
“We will continue to seek your support in the area of lands. Sadly, cases have been reported to us here in Abeokuta about some of our monarchs who have taken upon themselves to allocate government land, government forest reserve, plantations to others. They’ve been allocating and selling government lands.
“I have found this very difficult to believe. I consider this extremely unpatriotic that our monarchs will now begin to allocate such lands to others and worst still, in some of the areas, the land is being allocated to non-Ogun State indigenes.
“Our kabiyesi are colluding with people from outside Ogun State and give our land to them in our plantations and they are coming there, deforesting them. They are destroying the plantation. They are planting Indian hemp there. I was completely heart broken when I heard this news and when we actually verified, it was true.
“As a responsible state government, we will not have any choice but to take disciplinary action against any person found culpable of such an act; any person, be it kabiyesi or any person.
“Because, this land does not belong to me, it doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to our collective patrimony; it is our collective property that we own as a state. It is our commonwealth and we should endeavour to ensure we do not engage in such acts that are capable of tarnishing the image of the royalty and the throne.”
Governor Abiodun, who intimated the monarchs of his administration’s efforts at bringing in more investors to invest, said a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the Ogun State Dry Port at Kajola would be signed between the state government and a private investor before the end of the yea.
“It means in Ogun State, we will now have a dry port that will now enable all of us, including our industries and manufacturers to ship their goods from anywhere in the world to Kajola. This memorandum of understanding will be signed between now and Christmas.
“Last week, I met with the president of Benin Republic. He shared with me the fact that the government of Benin Republic has heard so much about our airport, sent delegates and determined as a government that they want