By Onyekachi Eze
Owners of lands within the Owerri Capital City who are yet to develop such lands may stand the risk of losing it to the State government, unless says otherwise by the superior authorities.
This feeling was stirred up in a motion moved by the Member representing Mbaitoli State Constituency at the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Innocent Ikpamezie at yesterday, July 26, 2023 plenary session.
Ikpamezie in his submission regretted that plots of lands allocated to persons especially by state within the metropolis for decades have continued to lay fallow.
He added that rather than waste large hectares of lands which should be put into good use by the State government for industrial and related job purposes, the lands should be revoked under the agreement contained in the original allocation papers.
The motion is titled, “Motion to urge the governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma to direct and authorize the Ministry of Lands to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of undeveloped lands within the Owerri Capital City”.
It reads, “Whereas landed property in Owerri Capital City is very high thereby making it very difficult for people to acquire lands in Owerri;
“Noting that many land owners in Owerri are yet to develop lands they acquired from Government, thereby depriving other potential developers the chances of acquiring landed property;
“Worried that Owerri Capital City has been largely undeveloped due to the inability of the owners of the undeveloped plots of land to develop the said lands;
“Observing that the aim and intention for which the government gave out those lands have been defeated hence the lands still remain undeveloped;
“Aware that in every allocation paper, each allottee is given the maximum period of two years to develop the land or risk revocation of the allocation”.
Hon Ikpamezie further recalled that there are many potential developers who are ready and willing to get any available land for immediate development.
Again, the Mbaitoli born Parliamentarian reiterated that the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma hinges on tripod stand of Recovery, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, and since then has left nothing unturned in making Imo functional and developed.
Lawmakers who spoke on the motion lauded the Chief mover for the well- thought out motion, pointing out that those areas like the industrial layout should be a great revenue base for the state but non functionality is the bane.
They were of the view that anyone who was allocated land(s) by the State government for more than the stipulated years and failed to develop the plots are not serious and should be withdrawn from such a person for the want of serious minded individuals.
Given by the sensitivity of the motion, the Speaker, Rt Hon Chike Olemgbe constituted a Seven-Man adhoc committee on Lands to be Chaired by the Chief mover, Hon. Innocent Ikpamezie.
Other Members of the Committee are Honorables; Amara Iwuanyanwu, Kanayo Onyemaechi, Kennedy Ibeh, Kelechi Ofurum, Ugochukwu Obodo and Chisom Ojukwu.
Hence, the House resolved as follows;
“To urge the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to authorize the Ministry of Lands to revoke any land allocation in Owerri Capital City where the allottees have failed to develop such lands within the time frame stated in their allocation papers after a grace period of six months;
“To encourage Imolites to identify and report to the Government through the Ministry of lands, all undeveloped landed properties for possible acquisition and development within the shortest possible time”.
