Land grabbing and fraudulent sale of lands may suffer a setback in Rivers State as government-approved and community-based land development authority has been set up in Alesa, the host community to the Port Harcourt Refineries.
Some top real estate developers, including the CEO of Construction and Housing Mayor Limited, My-ACE China, have voiced support for the emergence of a land committee, calling on other communities to emulate Alesa for sanity to return to land transaction.
The land development committee system may provide solution as Rivers State begins experimenting the community-based control system.
The experiment became a reality in Alesa Eleme where the Alesa Land Development Committee (ALDEC) was inaugurated last Friday by the paramount ruler of Alesa, Emperor John Dimkpa Mkpe.
Rivers State has been gripped by the vicious hold of land grabbers who have moved with armed hoodlums backed by security agencies to crush opponents and take over lands or even build up spaces.
The Alesa community, hub of many federal and state projects, has floated the recommended formula with Mkpe’s strong support. He is said to be a respected leader known for his commitment to peace, education, community development, and support for law enforcement, often advocating for better infrastructure and governance in his area.
Inaugurating the committee headed by Mr Emmanuel Olaka, a businessmen and strong pillar in Alesa, the paramount ruler condemned sharp practices in land sales in the state with Alesa as an example.
He said: ‘Alesa is one of the 10 communities in Eleme and we are the first community in Nigeria that has refineries. The Port Harcourt Refinery (1&2) that has a lot of pipelines surrounding us. We have done a lot of contribution in making sure Nigeria stands great among all nations.
‘We are made up of about 13 communities due to expansion. When I say 13 communities, Alesa is a community that has embraced other people. You can see here some people from the northern community. All the communities are here. That is why Alesa is known as a cosmopolitan community’.
The paramount ruler further said: ‘We have got a lot of information about the sale of land, and because we now have a situation whereby other persons will go into another person’s land and sell without the owner’s notice. We have also got information about minors who are not qualified to sell landed property, now selling land without letting their elders know’.
He said that bad land practices have created a lot of problems in the communities. ‘And that is why today, we are going to inaugurate a land development committee whose duty is to see into all these issues and bring up report about them. This will make both buyers and sellers feel very free in Alesa.
‘We seize this opportunity to warn thus: if you sell any land to anybody without this committee’s knowledge or consent, you are doing it at your own risk. If you are buying any land from Alesa, this committee will know. By this, we will track those selling the land to you so that you don’t buy land from a wrong person. We also do not want you to buy land from an under-aged persons (children) who will sell land and run away’, he further said.
Alesa is regarded as the preferred investment zone of Rivers State and Port Harcourt. Its image, just like that of Onne, is sensitive. The paramount said: ‘We do not want anyone to drag the name of this community to the mud. By what we have now done, Alesa has emerged as a place where you can come and invest. Our hands and doors are open. Let no one deceive you because your hard-earned money must be protected.
‘We are also seizing this opportunity to encourage investors and businesses to feel free to come and invest in Alesa. We have many investors already showing interest and some are already here, who are interested in investing here. We will not allow them to invest their money where it will be wasted. To those buying lands without due diligence, we advise them to please henceforth desist from buying land from anyone’.
Mkpe said that the community is also partnering with the state government on the project because those who buy land in Alesa with due process would be backed all the way to acquisition of certificate of occupancy.
He explained: ‘We are duly registered and we hereby show the world our certificate of registration and recognition. This is not a shabby arrangement. We have the registration and the authority which we have here as a body approved by the government to go into this development. This also is the registered constitution of the body.
‘We are also integrating our tradition so that if you deviate from what you are asked to do, you are the one that will bear the consequences. There is nobody that is as old as the staff I am holding in my hand here. So, every child, woman, or man who will go to steal someone’s land to sell, if you are caught, you will be dealt with. We will hand you over to the government. We will also make sure that whatever land you buy here, will be registered with the government of Rivers State through the office of the Surveyor-General and the Ministry of Land and that of Housing. This is to permanently stop land grabbers’.
To those wishing to go to Alesa as land grabbers, the paramount ruler issued a stern warning: ‘Please do not come near this commodity because if we catch you, we will show you the way out.
‘So that is the reason we are here today so that anybody who is buying land here should come and identify with us so your money can be safe.
‘Thirdly, we will not want anyone to sell land again. We know the designated areas for government. Anyone that dares go close to the government land is doing so on his own. And that is the reason why this body is also standing gallantly and strongly to protect government lands and other forms of property. They will help to identify areas belonging to the government’.
He called on investors to buy and develop immediately. ‘We want you to buy and develop, not to keep for decades. Failure to develop your land after five years, the land will be forfeited to the government of Rivers State as a ‘waste land’ that you do not want to develop. So, we are here not to maltreat any individual, we are not here to punish anyone, but to make sure your money is safe’, he said.
The monarch further said: ‘We have land that people bought when nobody here today was born. Today, those landowners are having problems. If they had bought those lands through this office that period of time, maybe their money and land would be protected. Any land that is bought here, we have your drawing and plan in the office so that even if you are no more, your land will be protected for your children. By this arrangement in place now, nobody will go back to sell your land in your absence’.
The host communities of Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals have become about the first host community in Nigeria to be equity holders to a project. The next is the Housing and Construction Mayor Limited which has given the aboriginal land owners 10% equity through corporate social responsibility investment. Now, the community has ruled that the Mayor formula should now be the rule.
Mkpe declared: ‘Also, you are not buying any land in perpetuity. There must be a percentage set aside for the children and grandchildren of the aboriginal land owner so they can meet and enjoy the dividends of their father’s labour. That is what we want to do so that everyone who has given out his plot of land in Alesa will be happy. The documentation of the land will accommodate the families of the buyer in the event of his demise, and the children of the seller, all this will be in the archive’.
He noted that the land committee has a good office where every vital piece of information is stored. ‘We are optimistic that this strategy will work for us all. One of the greatest persons who has been able to identify with us is the Mayor of Housing. He has been friendly to us and to our aspirations. One or two others have been supportive, but we would want them to come closer’, he said.
Immediately after the inauguration, Olaka vowed never to betray Alesa. He declared: ‘I hereby pledge never to betray this community or the palace. This is my hometown.
‘I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Alesa council of chiefs, the women, the youths, for nominating me to be the chairman of the Alesa Land Development Committee. I want to say this afternoon that I, Emmanuel Olaka, a bonafide son of Alaka, from Uwueke community, I will never disrespect this committee. I will always do what is right, so that my God will always stand by me. I will not be biased’.
He stated that the committee is not to make anybody fall but to make Alesa great. ‘This committee was formed because of the activities that are going on in our land. Some persons and some investors were trying to de-market Alesa, which is not acceptable. We will not accept that when there is no dispute, you go about telling people that there was dispute. What you are trying to do is to de-market Alesa.
‘We are going to work in harmony with the Alesa council of chiefs. We are not working for ourselves, but for the interest of Alesa, to make things go properly. We are not coming to do anything negative to the development of the community. We will always support investors to do what is right’, he said.
The event witnessed huge turnout of the community, and various community leaders voiced strong support to the scheme. A youth, Director Osarokote Benson, who said he is the Scholar President, agreed that the scheme was very necessary.
A woman leader, Blessing Wuwu; a former councillor, Humphrey Dada Obele; and Okenwii, a paramount ruler, all spoke in support of the land development committee initiative.
In his response, My-ACE China, who is behind the fast-approaching development in the area, the Alesa Sustainable Green Smart City, commended the community for leading the way and the war against land grabbing and land fraud. He said the development would augur well for the green city being initiated in the area and other projects coming to Alesa.
He urged other communities in the state and beyond to move fast and inaugurate such committees to bring an end to land grabbing.
