•Oba Rashidi Ladoja
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja yesterday inaugurated legal luminary, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), Yinka Okunade, Rahman Abiodun AbdulRaheem and Tunji Thomas to tackle the menace of land grabbing in the ancient city.
Noting that hard times await land grabbers who are giving Ibadan a bad reputation at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, Ibadan where the inauguration held, the monarch said the five-member committee of legal practitioners is charged with the task of tackling the problem of land grabbing from the legal perspective.
He urged the Committee to co-opt anybody from any profession, including town planning, survey, security agencies, the bar and bench who could assist in giving them sufficient greenlight to fight the scourge, reports The Nation.
Barrister Musibau Adetunbi SAN was however absent during the inauguration.
Flanked by members of Olubadan-in-council, Oba Ladoja said the Oyo State government, the Olubadan-in-council were on the same page 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.
The Olubadan 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 told the committee to hit the ground running, giving 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.
Balogun of Ibadanland, Oba Tajudeen Ajibola, corroborated Olubadan’s position, saying it had become desirable for Ibadan to take stringent action against the menace of land grabbing because it has constantly put the people in harm’s way.
He said, if it were possible, there should be the establishment of anti-land grabbing tribunals in all the eleven local governments councils in Ibadanland.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chief Akintola expressed the members’ gratitude to Olubadan and Olubadan-in-council for giving them the privilege to serve their fatherland.
Saying their inauguration is a call to serve their fatherland, the committee sought the co-operation and support of state government and Ibadan people in checkmating the menace of land grabbing.
He noted that the government was not favourably disposed to land grabbing either, and as such, the anti-land grabbing advisory committee would strengthen the state government’s resolve to tackle the same menace.
