By Pastor Agbebi Joel Adebola
It has been observed of recent, the uncontrolled rush by “foreigners” to acquire landed properties over the land space of the South Western part of Nigeria, the Yorubaland.
Indeed, it has gotten to a stage where certain land speculators now buy large expanse of land which they intend to sell to the highest bidders at very high costs and profits, far beyond the imagination, to whosoever could afford the prices, in the future.
Ordinarily, this worrisome development should not have been a source of concern to us because, we operate a free market economy. However, land is a fixed asset, and a factor of production. In other words, land as a factor of production can easily be exhausted, and hence become unavailable.
In many parts of the world, land is such a priceless natural gift that is not sold, the best deal people have has been a lease for a term certain, this is not the case with South Western Nigeria, where land is sold with reckless abandon.
We also note with grave concern that when family or community lands are sold to “foreigners or strangers,” the proceeds of such sales are squandered on useless ventures, such as, buying exotic cars, marrying more wives and the most annoying, is throwing parties where millions of Naira are spent on entertainment of guests.
We of Yoruba Emancipation Union Worldwide, dread a situation where our God given inheritance passed unto us by our forefathers, would be exhausted, such that our incoming generation(s) would have no claim or any right(s) whatsoever over our lands. This unfortunate development must be addressed, and timeously too. Sustainable development in the use and management of land resources, is the theme of our advocacy.
Amongst the Igbo people of Nigeria, it is a taboo to sell land to non indegenes whom the Igbos regard as “strangers.” Below is a picture of an Igbo Chief which has gone viral and which said message is unequivocal regarding the Igbo position over land situate in Igbo land
This press release is a clarion call to our legislators and governors that, if we fail to put our thinking caps on and put in place “LEGAL FRAMEWORKS” in the whole South Western Nigeria, it might be too late, when we wake up to discover that all our land resources, have been sold to “foreigners.”
We should clearly avoid living a life reminiscent of the Biblical prodigal son, who squandered his inheritance, caution must be taken so as avoid a situation where our offspring would rain abuses and causes on us, for the phenomenal blunder currently ongoing by indiscriminate sale of land in South Western Nigeria.
In the overall interest of the current South Western Nigerians living, and the incoming generations, the Yoruba Emancipation Union Worldwide, hereby humbly make the following submissions:
The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended PART II: Powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 4. Legislative powers subsection (6) Vests the legislative powers of a State in Nigeria in the House of Assembly of the State.
It is on this note that we enjoin South Western Nigeria Houses of Assembly to do as hereunder:
1.The State Houses of Assembly should enact law placing restrictions on outright sale of land by individuals, families, communities, traditional rulers, custodians, etc. to non-state indegenes, companies, associations, groups, etc.
2.Instead of outright sale of land comprised in each state, a lease spanning not more than 30 years should be put in place to allow reversionary interest to operate
3.Areas designated as residential should be strictly adhered to, and anyone who flout the said gazetted designation, should have his title and or right of occupancy revoked.
4.South Western Nigeria Governors should immediately revoke and or invalidate the Certificate of Occupancy regarding residential areas already converted to commercial buildings and
5.Where a corporate entity purports to have desire in acquiring land, due diligence should be carried out to ascertain the person(s) wearing the corporate veil and reject such proposed fraudulent acquisition.
We wish to state “and the man died, who in the face of tyrannical acquisition, kept silent.”
Pastor Agbebi Joel Adebola Prof. EFG Ajayi, General Secretary Director General
For: Yoruba Emancipation Union Worldwide
