Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, has vowed to enforce the existing anti-land grabbing law in the state.
Mr Mutfwang said this when he received reports of the committees on Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, and Land Administration, on Tuesday in Jos.
The governor, who decried the spate of land grabbing in Plateau, said that the enforcement would bring sanity to the land administrative system in the state.
“Let me remind our people that there is an anti-land grabbing law that was passed by the Simon Lalong administration.
“We are looking at how to enforce the law; people cannot just see a piece of land and just occupy it.
“There is no free land anywhere in the world, somebody has a right to it.
“We will make it easy for anyone who wants to acquire land, but please don’t just go and occupy land as if we are in no man’s land. It is not right,” Mr Mutfwang said.
The governor, who also frowned at the growing spate of illegal structures in the state, promised to go after those who often built without permit.
Mr Mutfwang blamed the increasing slums in the city of Jos and environs on such illegal structures.
“People build without permission. That is why you are seeing that Jos is becoming a glorified slum and we have to arrest it.
“It will be irresponsible of us not to arrest it. The reform will come with some pains, and we will certainly come after people who build without permit.
“There is no way we will permit lawlessness; it is not obtainable anywhere in a civilised setting.
” I want to appeal to those who built houses without permits. Please go to the relevant agencies and do the proper thing,” he advised.
The governor, who thanked members of the two committees for a job well done, promised to implement all their recommendations.
Earlier, Isaac Dimka, the chairman of the committee on land administration, called on the state government to speedily develop a master plan for the state.
On his part, retired Air Commodore Rwang Pam, Chairman of the Resettlement Committee, called on government to dislodge and return lands forcefully occupied to the original owners.
NAN
