- The governor emphasised the importance of regulating and sanitising land acquisition processes in the state
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has signed three critical bills into law, including the Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti-Land Grabbing, Second Amendment Law, 2024), passed by the State House of Assembly. The governor emphasised the importance of regulating and sanitising land acquisition processes in the state.
When fully operational, the law will prohibit forceful entry, illegal occupation of landed properties, and fraudulent or violent activities related to landed properties within the state.
Other bills signed into law include the High Court Law (First Amendment, 2014) and the Ekiti State Legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Law, 2024.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, accompanied by the Leader of the House, Hon. Toku Ige, and the Clerk, Mrs. Agbede, presented the documents to the Governor for his assent during a brief ceremony at the Executive Council Chamber, Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti.
Speaking shortly after signing the laws, Governor Oyebanji affirmed that the property protection law will effectively end the menace of forceful and illegal occupation of landed properties by miscreants, commonly referred to as land grabbers.
The Governor also praised the members of the Seventh Assembly for their astuteness, noting that the state has experienced remarkable and impactful growth due to their cooperation.
He expressed sincere appreciation to the legislators for being a pillar of support to his administration, emphasising that his achievements as governor were a collective success, not individual.
According to him “I am particularly excited about the anti-land-grabbing law. This has been an issue in this state—it has hindered growth and development. But now that we have a regulatory framework that gives us the legal power, I can assure you that we will implement this law to the letter, no matter who is involved.”
“Without your support, there is no way we would have been able to achieve anything because you provided the legal framework that enabled us to implement most of the decisions that have translated into the outcomes we are all proud of today. I am also grateful to you for your understanding in ensuring we put people first by distributing the ‘cake’ in such a way that everyone gets a piece.
“Moving forward, the next two years will be characterised by even greater achievements, surpassing the first two years, as the reward for hard work is more work. We enjoy goodwill from the people of Ekiti State; they seem to appreciate what we are doing. However, there is a danger in that—we must not rest on our laurels because we need to avoid a reversal of the gains we have made in the last two years.”
Earlier, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye said the event marks a significant step towards advancing the dividends of democracy to the people.