Ondo Deep Sea Port:  Akeredolu Suspends Approval Of Certificate Of Occupancy At Host Community

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo state government has moved to protect interest of land owners in areas where the proposed deep sea port, which licence was approved recently by the federal government is to be sited.

Part of the measures put in place by the state government is decision by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu not to approve any Certificate of Occupancy, (CofO)especially in Ilaje local government which will host the project.

This is to prevent land grabbers, that already understand the economic benefit of deep sea port to buy land cheaply from natives now and later start selling at exhorbitant prices to prospective investors.

Senior Special Assistant on special duties to Akeredolu, Dr Doyin Odebowale who disclosed this in an interview in Akure, said very soon investors will start migrating to the area for development.

Odebowale explained that Akeredolu’s decision to suspend signing any C of O in the area was made to protect land owners from hurriedly selling their plots of land at ridiculous prices at this period.

According to him, some individuals from other parts of the country that understand the economic benefits of the seaport, would soon be visiting the area to start buying lands from the local dwellers at cheaper prices.

“I want to ask land owners in the area to be patient because there is every tendency that they will want to jump to the opportunity at this time. They should resist any temptation to sell land at this time.

“Anybody who is wise now should just be careful because what we are going to experience in the next couple of months will be so massive to the point that you can’t even imagine that what you may be able to buy for N200,000 to N250,000 now, will later be sold for N5million and it will still be unwise for you to sell because of what is to come.

“I will advise them to watch and keep developing as those who want to dispossess them of their own land are thinking, they should also be thinking ahead because anyone who wants to buy your land now can not be your friend.

“Not that he wants to ameliorate your condition, no, he only wants to take advantage of your condition and he is waiting for the best time to exploit.

“Of course, they( local natives) will be working with government officials. However, they must also be wary of unscrupulous elements among the government officials who may want to connive with those who are coming to cheat them.

“What I am trying to say in essence is that, if you have an economic programme as a government and the local natives and residents of the area where the project is taking place, are not participating, that is a direct source of impoverishment.

“The local natives must participate actively in the local economy. That is direct empowerment.

“Of course, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu made it abundantly clear that he would not sign any Certificate of Occupancy for anybody along that corridor. He would not do that.

“We can only try, but if you have a house in Ore Town, we can not ask you not to sell, if you have plots of land at ilu-tuntun, we can’t also say don’t sell. But for the corridors of Seaport, we are going to prevent indiscriminate sale of land.”