Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has pledged to recover into the government’s treasury over N1 billion debt owed by some of the beneficiaries of the state’s housing estates before the expiration of his tenure.
Fayemi stated this on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti while receiving a report of the judicial panel of inquiry on land and related matters in the state. He restated the commitment of his government to reverse the impunity that has characterised land administration in the state.
Apparently miffed by the level of corruption, poor record-keeping and lack of transparency that characterised the allocation of lands in the state, Governor Fayemi directed the immediate constitution of a ministerial committee to advise the government on how to reform government apparatus in charge of land administration.
He said the commitment of his administration to eradicate unlawful land transaction was to achieve an effective land administration to enhance the government’s efforts in achieving poverty reduction and promote economic growth.
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The governor, who noted that the government had been informed of the existence of vast undeveloped parcels of land and lack of record of ownership or evidence of payment for some properties in the state housing estates, ordered the committee on recovery of money owed the state government to present a formal report on it to enable government take necessary action.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, said that a total of 43 petitions and memoranda were received in the course of its assignment, adding that the commission through the adoption of an alternative dispute resolution mechanism was able to determine the final right of the parties in 20 cases.
He said members of the commission also made on the spot assessment to various locations to test the veracity of the oral evidence led at the public sitting of the commission.
