Across the 20 local government areas of Ogun state, 5,000 landowners on Friday received Certificates of Occupancy (CofOs) from the state governor Dapo Abiodun.
Addressing the beneficiaries at the event held at the Obas complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Governor’s Office secretariat, Abiodun stated that his administration established Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS), under the Bureau of Lands and Survey, to sanitize the land administration, which he claimed had been marred by dishonest practises.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi urged state citizens to take advantage of the plan to regularise their landed properties, which he said would increase the value of their holdings because they could be used as collateral.
Abiodun stated that the scheme would alter the land business by allowing land and home owners to receive their CofOs within 30 days of submitting their applications.
“Today, I’m seeing so many people here who are here to collect their CofOs. During this period are giving out 5,000 CofOs.
“The first 5,000 certificates of occupancy is on various lands, whether you are on the Homeowners’ Charter or you are under PRP, there is no discrimination.
“Our lands department has been completely transformed. We decided that we are going to take an aggressive disposition at land administration.
“We want to make Ogun State the investor hub for Nigeria and this today marks a turning point, now the whole country knows that the business of land in Ogun State has been completely transformed”.
Segun Fowora, the director general of the Bureau of Lands and Survey, in his speech noted that the organisation aimed to double the number of beneficiaries by the following year.
According to him, land and home owners have several chances to get their land titles through the OLARMS initiative “to breathe life into dead assets, which does not serve any economic purpose.”
“Some of these opportunities include, but not limited to, guarantee of farmer identification and proof of ownership rights over a piece of land, which ensures security of tenure and facilitate subsequent transaction on land security of tenure and protection. against adverse claimants and trespass”, Fowora said.
The beneficiaries include applicants from the immediate pass administration’s Home Owners Charter programme and the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS).
The Olu of Itori, Oba Abdulfatai Akanmo; Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Omoniyi; Lagos State Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olukayode Ayilara; and the State Secretary of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tiwalade Akingbade were among the recipients of the CofOs.
