Ekiti government goes tough on school land grabbers
Ekiti State Government has warned people encroaching and erecting
structures illegally on land already allotted to public schools to
stop forthwith and be ready to forfeit such illegal structures to
government without any compensation.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Science and Technology,
Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi, gave the warning at a peace parley attended by the
representatives of government, key stakeholders in the education
sector and residents of Ikingbisin area, Ado-Ekiti.
The meeting followed government discovery that some people have
started encroaching on part of the land on which Ikingbinsin/Olorunda
Community High School, Ado-Ekiti was established.
The Permanent Secretary, who spoke through the Director of Schools in
the Ministry, Mr. Alani Daramola commended the residents of the area,
particularly Chief Akingbisin for releasing the plots of land for the
establishment of the school while appreciating the collective efforts
of the residents in resisting land grabbers from further encroaching
on the school land.
Mr. Ajayi, who advised the people to always ascertain the status of
any land adjoining public schools from the Ministry of Lands, Housing
and Urban Development before making any transaction on them, also
warned land owners already compensated by government to stop
re-allocating such lands to prospective buyers, adding that government
was prepared to prosecute both the buyers and illegal sellers of
government land.
The Permanent Secretary, who also remarked that the state government
was not unmindful of the challenges of decayed facilities in the
school, assured that efforts are on by the Fayemi-led government to
rehabilitate them and provide more facilities and other educational
materials that would make teaching and learning more conducive to
teachers and students of the school.
One of the community leaders in the area, Chief Jimoh Adelusi, while
speaking on behalf of the Community promised to cooperate with the
State government to prevent further encroachment on the land on which
the only secondary school serving the area, Ikingbinsin/Olorunda
Community High School was established.
Chief Adelusi, who vowed to ensure that the encroached portion of the
school land is reclaimed and restored to the school, urged government
to erect perimeter fencing to demarcate the boundary and make it
difficult for any further attempt to encroach on the land.
He also assured that the entire residents of the area would continue
to support the government and work for the development of the school
so that products of the school would be forthright and dependable
leaders of tomorrow.
