Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Alumni Association of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin and other stakeholders of the institution at the weekend vowed to resist any attempt from any quarters to grab or encroach on the institution’s acquired land.
They said that the state government has legally acquired the land and compensation paid to the original land owners over 50 years ago.
Rising from an emergency meeting of the stakeholders on the purported encroachment on the polytechnic’s land held in Ilorin, the stakeholders however urged every property owner or private developer on the institution’s land that have genuine documents to contact the state Geographic Information Science (GIS) to ascertain the status of their property.
The meeting was well attended by the management of the polytechnic, traditional institution, Kwara State Geographic Information Science, Students Union Government (SUG), media executives and the host, the alumni association of the institution.
In a communique, issued in Ilorin after the meeting, signed by the Chairman, communique drafting committee, Mr. James Ogunlakin, they said, “if the record of any property owner was not with the Kwara State GIS, it means they do not have any property on the land.”
The stakeholders said, “We will not allow any inch of the land to be grabbed by any land speculators or private individuals in the state, adding that all the compensations have been duly paid to the owners when the government acquired the land over 50 years ago.”
They also called for a peaceful resolution of the matter, saying that peaceful approach to the matter could not be overemphasized.
The communique also said that no piece of the polytechnic land is available for sale between the polytechnic land and Dangiwa community in Oke Ose area.
The communique also said that:
“All ongoing private construction works on the polytechnic land should be put to a stop henceforth”.
Earlier, the protem president of the Kwara State Polytechnic Worldwide Alumni, Engineer Abu Salami, said, “A look at the two different definitions of encroachment and land grabbing have showed that the groups pitching tent against our alma-mata (Kwara State Polytechnic) has graduated from land encroachment to land grabbing.
“At this point, we are of the view that they are ready to use all means including threat, terrorism,
sponsored court cases and blackmailing to snatch the land they do not own.
“At this point, we challenge any of the claimants to provide any document authorising the building of any of the structures on the land in dispute for which the Kwara State Government had already paid
compensation to the original owners and we are ready to show proof.
“We, the alumni and the students of this peace loving and prestigious citadel of learning who have been quiet and patiently watching the unfolding scenario between these bandits and our Polytechnic
management are now up to say enough is enough as far as this daylight robbery is concern”.
