Land grabbers in Ibadan are in for hard times as the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has constituted a legal committee to tackle the menace of land grabbing.
The foremost Ibadan traditional ruler further declared that hard times await land grabbers who are giving Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a bad reputation.
He said this on Tuesday while inaugurating the five-member legal committee, consisting of lawyers who were charged with the task of tackling the problem of land grabbing from the legal perspective.
As contained in a release by his media aide, Adeola Oloko, the committee comprised of Chief Niyi Akintola SAN, Musibau Adetunbi SAN (who was absent), Yinka Okunade, Rahman Abiodun AbdulRaheem and Tunji Thomas.
Oba Ladoja charged members of the legal committee to co-opt people from other professions, including town planning, survey, security agencies, the bar and bench, who could assist in giving them sufficient greenlight to fight the scourge.
Present at the inauguration were members of Olubadan-in-Council who Oba Ladoja said were on the same page with the Oyo State government in ridding Ibadan of the menace of land grabbing.
According to him, land grabbing is like an interlocking web of complex connections involving diverse interests that need to be unravelled.
Addressing members of the committee Oba Ladoja said: “I know each of you very well. While we entertain no illusion as to the gravity of your responsibility, I have no doubt in my mind that you have the capacity to carry out the responsibility.”
He urged the committee to hit the ground running, and gave them 21 days within which to make their recommendations.
The Olubadan, however, clarified that the inauguration of the legal advisory committee was meant to strengthen the existing committee on land matters, headed by Mogaji Asimiyu Ariori.
Also speaking, Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola corroborated the Olubadan position, saying it has become desirable for Ibadan to take stringent action against the menace of land grabbing “because it has constantly put our people in harm’s way.”
He further said: “If it were possible, we should seek the establishment of anti-land grabbing tribunals in all the 11 local government councils in Ibadanland.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Chief Akintola SAN expressed the members’ gratitude to Oba Ladoja and the Olubadan-in-Council for giving them the privilege to serve their fatherland.
He said their inauguration was a call to service of their fatherland and sought the co-operation and support of the Oyo State government and Ibadan people in checkmating the menace of land grabbers.
He noted that the state government was not favourably disposed to land grabbing either and, as such, the anti-land grabbing advisory committee would strengthen the government’s resolve to tackle the same menace.
The Olubadan-in-Council meeting, presided over by Oba Ladoja, was attended by Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola; Otun Balogun Oba Kola Adegbola; Otun Olubadan-Designate, Oba Eddy Oyewole;
Osi Balogun, Oba Olubunmi Isioye-Dada; Osi Olubadan-Designate; Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi; Asipa Olubadan-Designate; Oba Hamidu Ajibade; Ekerin Balogun, Oba Akeem Adewoyin; and Ekerin Olubadan-Designate, Oba Adebayo Akande.
Also present were Bobajiro of Ibadanland and a former Head of Service, Chief Tajudeen Aremu and Ajiroba Olubadan, Professor Soji Adejumo.
