Kwara assembly wades into Air Force, community land dispute

“The Kwara House of  Assembly on  Thursday urged the state government to pay compensation to Alagbado community in Eiyenkorin, a suburb of llorin, for the 20 hectares of land it sold to the Nigerian Airforce in  1985.

The House made the plea after considering the report of a  petition submitted to its Committee on Public Petition.

In the petition, the Alagbado community had alleged encroachment into its land by the Nigerian Airforce.

But the Chairman of the committee, Muhammed Adebayo, said that the Nigerian Air Force had acquired the land since 1985 and compensation had been paid to the state government.

The committee said the state government, however,  refused to pay compensation to the land owners following a dispute on the land with another community.

The House, in its resolution, urged the state Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Bureau of  Lands and the Office of the Surveyor-General to demarcate the land acquired by the Nigerian Air Force.

The House also urged Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed to urgently direct the Bureau of Lands to pay the appropriate compensation to the rightful owners without further delay.

It further called on the state Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to direct the Secretary, State Town Planning and Development Authority to stop issuing building approvals for any land in contention.

Some lawmakers in their submissions recommended that punitive measures be meted against  town planning  officials  found wanting in the allocation of already acquired land to serve as deterrent to others.

The Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare,  who presided over Thursday’s sitting, commended the committee for its brilliant submissions on the issue.”

Source: The Nation