“Why Governor Mbah Embark On Land Reform Policies” — Lands Commissioner

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Thursday, January 23rd, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Governor Peter Mbah led government in Enugu state has said that the motive behind its current land reform policies in the state is aimed at putting in place a seamless land transaction services delivery geared towards building investors confidence and enhancing land value.

Commissioner for lands and Urban Development in the state Barrister Chimaobi Patrick Okorie, Enugu state stated this while speaking with newsmen in his Enugu.

He explained that the Enugu State Geographic Information Services (EN-GIS) law, and the Enugu state properties Law provides a legal framework for the digitalization of land Registry, enhance protection against grabbers and promote transparency.

The Commissioner said it would also ensure the overhauling of it’s building approval process to improve efficiency and reduce delays, adding that the government is committed to de-risking investments by improving access to land, providing necessary infrastructure and managing community relations.

According to him, “These initiatives are aimed at stimulating economic growth, creating wealth, and addressing crime and insecurity in the state”. he said.

The Commissioner further stated that “these agenda items like the anti land grabbing laws, declaration of new urban areas, land use regulations and the new Enugu policy and law are what the governor sees as part of the thesis on the table that are tired toward prosperity, developing, making Enugu attractive for investors and for presence and optimizing land resources, for the people of Enugu,unlocking it as assets.

Okoroike clarified that the policies would enable people to appreciate the value of their land even in the rural areas and would make them know that there is more in what they have at hand.

“Many of us, the best we do with our mobile phone we have is make calls but when you given it to a 21 year old child he will tell you that you are not using up to 5% of the capacity of the phone, because there is supposed to be a calculator, it’s supposed to be a camera, it’s supposed to be a computer.

“It’s supposed to do so many other things beyond just calling your colleagues and calling your family.

“So that’s the way his excellency sees our land access, even in the communities, even in the hinterlands, in the suburbs, it’s not just something to give you emotional satisfaction alone.

“The government thinks there’s commercial value and is committed to helping everybody to unlock as an asset in all of these agenda items” he said.

He however, urged the media to assist the government in disseminating the information to the people to understand the thoughts of the government and key into the new policies to stimulate economic growth and creation of wealth.

“His Excellency recognizes the need for communication, because sometimes even the best intention can be damaged or rubbish because of poor communication, we need to communicate, not just for people to know, but for people to benefit from it”.

Okoroike added that the government is aware of the emotional aspects of land and the fact that people also attach a lot of emotions and that those emotions can be charged if the wrong information is given, causing people to form different opinions.

“Good enough, We’re talking to experts in media management and communications management. We have had this discussion with so many other professional associations, but we’re happy that these are now the ones who manage communications and manage public relations.

“So I believe we are talking to the most relevant of all our stakeholders in explaining what it is”.

On the Executive order declaring additional parts of Enugu as Urban area, the commissioner stated that it was out of the passion and the governor’s interest to develop Enugu.

“So when he signed into existence, the Executive Order declared some additional parts of Enugu as Urban, it is also with that passion to have some deliberate and guided developments in those locations”.

“We have visited places where development was haphazard where there was no plan, where a city or a locality just grew up. “Sometimes sitting next to your residential house is a church. Maybe the next one is a factory with noise and gas emissions. It’s never the best, he declared.