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The Ebonyi State Government has warned individuals encroaching on land allocated to development centres and other government-owned properties, cautioning that offenders will face the full weight of the law.
The state’s Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Matthew Nwobasi, issued the warning at an interactive session with the 64 Development Centre Coordinators, at his office in Centenary City, Abakaliki.
Expressing concern over the widespread illegal occupation of public lands, Nwobasi reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy on land grabbing. He clarified the legal status of the administrative units, reminding the coordinators that the development centres were established by state law and operate independently of the local government system.
He said coordinators are required to hand over the administration of the centres to their official successors at the end of their tenure, rather than to local government chairmen, unless otherwise directed by the state government.
To safeguard government assets, Nwobasi directed coordinators who have yet to survey their sites to do so immediately and ensure that certified copies of their survey plans are submitted to the Ministry of Lands and Survey. He added that coordinators whose lands have already been surveyed but have been encroached upon should take immediate legal steps to recover them.
Warning of impending field assessments, the commissioner disclosed that the ministry would soon commence statewide inspections to verify boundary compliance and identify illegal structures on government land. He warned that any coordinator found negligent in protecting state property would be regarded as complicit in the encroachment.
Echoing the commissioner’s directive, the state Surveyor-General, John Igbede, urged coordinators to establish clearly defined and properly mapped boundaries. He noted that although host communities willingly donated land for the development centres when they were established, boundary demarcations had become increasingly unclear over time, resulting in unauthorised claims.
“I encourage all of you to ensure there are clearly defined boundaries. This will foster better relationships between the government, host communities, and key stakeholders,” Igbede said.
Responding on behalf of the coordinators, the Chairman, Coordinators’ Forum and Coordinator of Ominyi Development Centre, Hon. Chidi Ogbonna, expressed concern over the illegal occupation of government lands and appealed for the state’s support in recovering affected sites.
He pledged that the coordinators would work closely with the ministry, community leaders, and other stakeholders to protect government-owned property across the state.
