Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has stressed the need to regulate and sanitise land acquisition processes.
He spoke after signing three critical bills, including the Ekiti state property protection (anti-land-grabbing, second amendment law, 2024) passed by the state House of Assembly, into law.
When fully operational, Governor Oyebanji said the law will prohibit forceful entry, illegal occupation of landed properties, and fraudulent and violent conduct about landed properties in the state.
Other bills were signed into law after they were presented by the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Adeoye Aribasoye, accompanied by the Leader of the House, Hon Toku Ige, and the Clerk, Mrs Agbede, to the Governor for his assent at the governor’s Office, Ado—Ekiti These included the High Court Law (First Amendment, 2014) and the Ekiti state legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Law, 2024.
Speaking shortly after assenting to the laws, he affirmed that the property protection law would end the menace of forceful and illegal occupation of landed properties by land miscreants called land grabbers.
The governor expressed his sincere appreciation to the legislators for supporting his administration, stating that his achievement as a Governor could not be personal but the accomplishment of all.
“And for the laws we are signing, I am particularly excited about the anti-land grabbing law. This has been an issue in this state; it has taunted growth and development, but now that we have a regulatory framework that gives us the legal power, I can assure you that we will implement that law to the letter, no matter who is involved.
“From now on, the next two years will be characterised by many achievements that surpass the first two years, as it is said that the reward for hard work is more work.
We enjoy goodwill with our people in Ekiti state, and people seem to like what we are doing, but there is a danger in that; the danger is that I must not rest on our oars because we must avoid a reversal of the gains we have had in the last two years.
Earlier, Speaker of the Ekiti State House, Rt Hon Adeoye Aribasoye, said the event signalled the journey to further advance democracy’s dividends to the people. He also noted that members of the House are always working in tandem with the executive, which has helped deepen development in the state.
