05/04/2024
Heritage Loss As Kwara Poly Tussles Land Encroachment With Indigenes
The lingering battle between the management of the Kwara State Polytechnic and its host communities has taken a new turn as the Alumni Association of the institution issues a stern warning demanding an end to the rising wave of encroachments on the school lands.
The dispute has over time generated heated arguments with both parties laying claim to the ownership of some sections of the land on which some of the school buildings were erected.
Speaking to the journalists after the tour of the encroached areas of the school, which included Oke-Aponle, Boyi, Gatta, Quarter C, Polytechnic Farm, Rector's Lodge, Institute of Environmental Studies, Oke-Ose, Akuro, Ara and the Polytechnic gate, the Alumni President, Engr. Abu Salami decried the level of encroachment which he said has degenerated into land grabbing, saying that all sorts of despicable means such as threats, terrorism, sponsored court cases and blackmailing have been contrived to encroach the lands.
"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 sn**ch 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."
"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 concerned."
On his part, Surveyor Abubakar Aremu averred that the school through the state government in 1974 had paid compensations to the land owners upon which the institution was built, adding that the 5,400 hectares were acquired for the school in 1973 when it was established by the military administration of Colonel David Bamgboye.
He said that after the payment of compensation to the original land owners, which varied according to the land space acquired by the state government, the affected villages were advised to move to different locations specified by the government.
While disclosing that over 5000 hectares of land designated to accommodate the institution had been encroached on, the Surveyor affirmed the readiness of the school to expedite measures to arrest the wave of encroachments on the school lands.
However, the representatives of the villages, in their reactions, expressed objections to the institution's claim of compensation payment, challenging the school to adduce documents bearing consent to the concession of the lands and as well bring forth the visual evidence capturing the moment in which the compensations were paid.
Against the backdrop of reactions and recommendations from the stakeholders, the Communique Drafting Committee headed by Evangelist James Segun issued resolutions indicating the collective decisions of Alumni of the Polytechnic, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Journalists, Civil Society Organizations, Traditional Institutions, Student Union Government of Kwara State Polytechnic, Kwara State Geographic Information Services (KWAGIS) amongst others.
The conference, which was held on the 4th of April, 2024 at Admiral Mohammed Alabi Lawal Auditorium resolves as follows;
1. That the government should ensure that any individual or group of individuals who laid claim to any property on the land of the Polytechnic should contact KWAGIS to confirm their legal status.
2. All illegal developments on the properties of the Polytechnic should be removed immediately.
3. The conference resolved that the Government should as a matter of urgency embark on the er****on of perimeter fencing of the property of Kwara State Polytechnic.
4. Based on observation (2) above, the conference urges the State government to direct their designated agencies to affect the demolition of all identified illegal structures on the Polytechnic land.
