Signing of new anti-grabbing law: Edo indigenous leader commends Gov. Obaseki

By Isaac Eranga

  Edo Indigenous Leader- Chief Dr Bishop Omogiade Enoyiogiere Edokpolo

Benin City: The Edo indigenous leader and founder of Edo Progressive Indigenous Association (EPIA)- Chief Dr Bishop Omogiade Enoyiogiere  Edokpolo has lauded the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, for heeding to his plea and that of Edo indigenous people, by  assenting on the bill amending private property protection law of 2017 into the new Edo State private property protection law of 2021. This new law apart from banning the activities of community development association, also put an end to the activities of the Okhaigele. 

According to Bishop Omogiade Edokpolo, "the ousting of the activities of  Okhaigele in Benin kingdom, will help fast track  development in the kingdom. When the governor put an end to the activities of CDAs, the Okhaigele took over the proscribed CDA's activities and turned themselves to warlords in their various communities, thereby confiscating landed property belonging to individuals.

"The same duty they were doing as CDA, was what they were also doing as Okhaigele. At a time when it seems the land grab act has been abandoned, this amendment surprising came on board. With this amendment, both local and international investors in the diaspora will now have trust in the land act administration of Edo State. 

"Local and international investors in the dispora had earlier threatened a rethink in investing in the State. This was contained in a statement signed by the President and Founder of Edo Indigenous Movement (EIM), also known as Edo Progressive Indigenous Association (EPIA) and made available to newsmen in Benin City.

"The Edo indigenous investors and foreign investors in the diaspora made their position known while looking at  the attack meted on the leader of Edo indigenous movement who has been campaigning to attract Edo indigenes and nonindigenes in the diaspora to come to Edo State to invest, assuring them that Edo is a safe haven to invest. The investors opined that if the Edo indigenous leader could be a victim of land grab act and in the process assulted by his fellow indigenes, they have no option than to have a rethink about investing in Edo State. 

"This was a clarion call to Governor Obaseki, traditional rulers, and the various security agencies,  to reassure the investors and Edo indigenous people living in the diaspora who are concerned about the high level of insecurity in the State, that the State is now safe for them to invest. In measuring this assurance, the people needed a clear prove of the enforcement of the land grab act. This should serve as a renewed that the Governor would put in enforcing the land grab act", the statement said.

"However, the Police in Edo State had proved that Edo can be a safe place for investors to put their money, by arraigning in court those land grabbers that assaulted me in Benin in order to confiscate my landed property. The amendment of the 2017 private property protection law, has made Edo State safer for investors to do legitimate business", said Dr. Edokpolo.

While assenting to the amendment of the private property protection law, Gov. Obaseki said  the law affects law and order in the State, saying the law not only ban the Community Development Associations (CDAs) but also all sorts of splinter groups like Okhaigele or  people who have come up to forcefully take other people's landed properties in their communities.

The Governor said a special court shall be set up to swiftly try offenders and if guilty, they will face the consequences.