Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State, has prohibited monarchs from participating in any agreements on industrial or mining activity in their territories.
The governor had warned the state’s traditional authorities against allocating territory to illegal miners and selling public property without approval, particularly plantations.
He stated that unlawful mining had a detrimental environmental impact on some areas and jeopardised some of the state’s most valuable public assets.
On Saturday, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, stated that land purchases for mining or industry must follow approved, conventional, and transparent protocols.
The statement read:
“Ogun State has vast tracts of land containing mineral resources attractive to investors. The Ogun State Government is building a sustainable industrial economy which will significantly increase private investments, enhance job creation and improve revenue generation, thus making land, its management and use an area of key focus and interest. Whereas, the State recognises that to achieve the above, when miners and investors bid to acquire and explore available land for mining, industrialisation or any other approved use by the State Government, such acquisitions and explorations must be made through approved, standard, preset, and transparent processes.
“The State, therefore, observes the current trend in which miners and investors circumvent regulation and government oversight by encouraging Traditional institutions to interfere with land management by entering into Memorandums of Understanding and other irregular legal arrangements. NOW THEREFORE, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE CONSTITUTION AS THE GOVERNOR OF OGUN STATE, I HEREBY ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
“That all forms of Traditional Institutions existing within the State are hereby with immediate effect barred from entering into any form of Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement with any individual, companies or organisations seeking Land within any part of the entire State for purposes of Mining or Industry and are to forthwith refrain from issuing any form of consent letters for mining across the State.
“Any Traditional Institution or stakeholder in the Institution who flouts this Order shall be sanctioned in line with the provisions of the Obas and Chiefs Law and other relevant criminal statutes. From the date of this order, any individual, company or organisation that enters into any Memorandum of Understanding or agreement with a Traditional Institution or stakeholders, to whom this order applies on mining or industry shall proceed in line with Section 61 of the Ogun State Criminal Law 2006 which prohibits interference with executive power.”
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cc: Daily Post Ng
