Wole Balogun, Ado-Ekiti
Deputy governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, has warned officers in charge of land allocation in the Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development, against illegal land deal that could cause chaos among the people.
He also emphasised that the state government would not condone any crisis resulting from land deal that could disrupt the peace of any community in the state.
Egbeyemi issued the warning while settling a layout dispute between the officers of the ministry and the residents of Merry Land Avenue, behind Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) in his office, in Ado-Ekiti.
A statement, on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, disclosed that Egbeyemi paid a fact-finding visit to the spot where he appealed to the aggrieved landlords and residents to allow peace to reign.
The Landlords Association of Merry Land Avenue had earlier submitted a petition to the Office of the Deputy Governor accusing the ministry of selling out the access road to the community.
The deputy governor expressed dissatisfaction with the manner at which some officers of the ministry abandoned the proper layout designed to suit their selfish gain.
Said he, “You senior officers hardly go out (to the field) except your junior officers, the way they behave, one has to be careful and then this government will not allow for any dirty job.
“If they want to cheat you (the people), I will not be part of it and if they want to cheat the ministry I will not be part of it.
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“For peace I will follow you to the place, whatever needed to be done for peace to reign I will do it.
“I will go out of my will and follow you to the place.”
While on on-the-spot assessment of the disputed areas, the deputy governor urged the parties in the matter to maintain peace and urged them to make use of the alternative routes in the area.
Egbeyemi added, “I thought it is the same thing that happened at Irewolede Estate that is happening here.
“I have asked the chairman of the housing estate to see me and the land officers in that area.
“Gentlemen, we were asked not to judge wrongly so that we will not be judged, meaning that if you are going to justice, you must go with clean hand.
“There is nowhere people are allowed to pass through estate road to their own land. So where you claimed that was blocked, they (the ministry) have the right to block it.
“I have seen that place, if it is an estate, they don’t use to allow people to cross their estate to other places. And that your community has an access road, it is only that it is not short.
“I will appeal to you to go and ensure that peace reigns in your community, I want peace to reign everywhere in Ado and other areas in Ekiti State.
“I based my judgment on Map 2003 and I observed that the whole place is an estate.”
Chairman of the community, Mr. Gbenga Oluwatuyi, appreciated the deputy governor for his fatherly role in the matter and pledged their loyalty to the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi.