Battling Illegality: Demolition/ Land Recovery Not Targeting Anyone - Chief Omare

••• as the hunt for land grabbers intensifies.

Chief Frank Omare, Chairman, Delta state Taskforce on Recovery of Goverment Lands, Friday June 21st, 2024, stated that the land recovery exercise which necessitated the demolition of properties in the state as witnessed in Asaba is not targeted at anyone but a defense of government policies. 

Recall that there's been on going demolition of illegal structures occupying the Dennis Osadebe University Land and there's been spate of comments blackmailing the government that its actions are one sided and confrontational.

He said " It is not about Governor Sheriff Oborevwori or Chief Frank Omare, it is about the policies of government. And of course, it is not targeted at anybody."

"This is a continuation of the taskforce assignment in the State, we are still in Asaba axis, Ughelli, is yet to come, Warri, is yet to come, Isoko, is yet to come, Agbor, is yet to come, Patani, is yet to come,It is everywhere.

“Kwale, is yet to come, Ibusa, is yet to come. If you go to Ibusa, the government land that is there, you will get shocked, we are coming there and our governor is determined to get the lands back to government."

On the issue of compensation he expressed that “How can we compensate? The citizens ought to pay for the equipment government is hiring because from the beginning the various agencies had told them that this is government land and they undermined it."

“Since Kefas, Chief James Ibori’s time, Uduaghan’s time, Okowa’s time, now it’s Sheriff Oborevwori’s time."

Chairman of the taskforce also revealed that “We are looking for the land grabbers, we are looking for those leaders who have misinformed the less privileged in this state. How can you sell government land?"

“There are a lot of them that have ran away but government is going after them because the suffering is too much as a result of greed by a few people but if course, we cannot fold our hands, government is government, they sold government lands and it is a crime."

Deploringly, Chief Omare frowned at the lever of Illegality in warri saying "go to Warri and see what is happening, how could you be building even on top of the road?"

While expressing his worries he advised “So, dear Deltans, anywhere that you are in Delta State, please ask well, even in your house ask whether the property you are, is on government land, If it is on government lands, just remove your valuables because government will soon get there."

Just like the long arm of the amphibious excavators, Chief Omare trashed muffled mumours, of having roundtable talks between government and occupants of the government lands in view for the purpose of giving them lands, saying, “no responsible government will sit down with land grabbers to give government lands to them."

“Those are misinformation, it is blackmail and that is what some bloggers want to promote."

“Times are hard and what the populace are going through, it is not the intention of government to make them suffer but the land grabbers who felt that they are community leaders and youths selling their lands, government is coming after them."

“We tendered government gazette and Certificate of Occupancy before the public and you cannot have a counter Certificate of Occupancy."

“We are doing what is right as a government and we are going to be very firm, we won’t look at faces, there are people in government collaborating with the land grabbers but we are also dealing with them."