By Obansa Ibrahim, Lokoja
Kogi State Bureau of land and urban development has cautioned communities within the state’s sixteen kilometers radius against allocating land without government approval to avoid friction.
The Director General of the Bureau Alhaji Samari Teina Abdulmalik gave the warning on Wednesday during a stakeholders meeting on land administration held at the government house Lokoja.
Abdulmalik who stated that the meeting was not convened to take away lands belonging to communities, noted that issue of land allocation within the stipulated 16 kilometers radius in the state’s capital is the prerogative and exclusive reserved for Bureau of land and urban development.
He warned that sanctions await whoever go against the Land Use Act of the federal government and the Kogi State Law called 16 kilometers radius, assuring that government would not relent in its effort to pay compensations for any land acquired from communities.
“We are not here to take any body’s land , but I am assuring you that any land that government take from any community will be adequately compensated for. So we want the communities and other stakeholders to stop arbitrary allocation of land without government approval .
“Whoever need land should come to the Bureau so that we can have proper plan and good layout that will pave room for development because it is in our plan to effect massive development in Lokoja the state capital.
In his remarks, the Olu of Oworo Alhaji Mohammed Adoga described the stakeholders meeting on land administration as timely and urged the Bureau to intervene in land dispute that has become a major threat to development in many communities.
Also in his remarks, Oba Fedrick Durojaye the Olu of Akpata-Oworo described land as a precious gift of nature to communities, stressing that “it is imperative to the land owners to guard it jealously.
The Royal Father appealed to the state government to take development to the rural areas by opening access roads, provision of electricity and other basic necessity of life.
“It is time for communities to allow government presence in their areas for viable development” he stated.