Land Grabbing: Estate Developers Campaigns for Intervention of Traditionalists

James Sowole in Abeokuta

As Ogun State and other states in the federation are faced with the menace of land grabbing, an Estate Developer, Mr. Morenikeji Osokoya, has begun a parley with community leaders and traditionalists on ways to end the crisis associated with land issues in the state. 

Osokoya, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Celebrity City Estate, explained during a stakeholders’ meeting with some chiefs and traditionalists in Odogbolu, the headquarters of Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, that the meeting was considered essential because of the usefulness of land in the economic development of any nation.

While narrating his sad personal experience with some land grabbers, Osokoya lamented that many lives have been lost and properties destroyed as a result of the activities of land grabbers who daily unleasd mayhem on innocent souls.

He said: “We have come to discuss how we can involve our community leaders in ways to resolve disputes arising from land matters through an alternate dispute resolution model.

“This is one of the several different processes used to resolve disputes between parties, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, collaborative law, and litigation.”

He suggested the involvement of community leaders like the monarch, village head, and traditionalist before a prospective land buyer would go into any negotiation with anybody for the purpose of buying land.

“If these people are involved, when any issue arose from the transactions, they will be readily available to defend and speak out,” he argued.

In his words, the Tami of Odogbolu, Oba Leke Oludipe, commended  Osokoya for the move saying that alternate dispute resolution has been an effective way of solving both major and minor issues without creating bias.

Oba Oludipe, who is also the Obanire of Ijebuland, said conflicts arising from matters could be resolved through the help of traditional/community leaders like kings, Baale, Oloja (Alagemo), Oloritun family head, family youth leaders and family members

He said: “The issue of land is best resolved by traditional means, thereby creating no cheating. The chiefs know the story of every community. So traditionalists must be carried along.”

He said as one of the arbitrators, he had helped in solving over 30 major issues about land matters alone since the beginning of this year.

“We have got not less than 50 of such cases this year alone , out of which we have resolved over 30 of them successfully, with this you can see that ADR which we inherit from our forefathers has never failed in settling issues if properly administered.

“Before the modern law system, alternative dispute resolution has found its root in many traditional societies before and after civilization. Different societies and traditions had their means or ways of solving disputes,” he said.