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Expunge Land Use Act from constitution, say valuers

By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
15 October 2018   |   2:13 am
For the umpteenth time, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has called on the National Assembly to remove the 1978 Land Use Act from the Constitution. While regretting that the Land Use Act was long overdue for review, they argued that the removal...

Roland Abonta

For the umpteenth time, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) has called on the National Assembly to remove the 1978 Land Use Act from the Constitution.While regretting that the Land Use Act was long overdue for review, they argued that the removal of the Act would reduce the constitutional procedure for its amendment.

NIESV President, Mr. Rowland Abonta, who spoke in Port Harcourt during a seminar on “Continuing Professional Development” organised by the body lamented that the rigidity of the Act was making it difficult for the professionals to meet up with the dynamics of the economy and environmental requirements.He said, the removal of the Act has become very necessary following the technological development in the field and the steady varying in land development.

According to him, “ what we are saying is, take away the Land Use Act from the Constitution and let it stand on its own so that the dynamics of our economies, environmental requirements and the needs for land as it varies often, the act can be amended to meet such needs”

The institution’s President further expressed concern on the clean up of Ogoniland, calling for a thorough and urgent clean up of the area. Abonta noted that, if the clean up in Niger Delta region were not properly done, it would lead to land stigmatization in the area and may consequently; take away business and prospective investors, thereby robbing off the people billions of investments.

For Prof. Iyenemi Kakulu, who spoke on the theme “Sustainable Land Management in Oil Producing Communities” said, several communities in Niger Delta are increasingly becoming notorious for heightened environmental degradation, bizarre murderers from all sources with oil pollution and flooding.She stressed the need for urgent attention in the communities, warning that they may otherwise, run the risk of becoming stigmatized thus, closing doors to development and future growth.  

Kakulu said: “Investors are usually not prepared to take the unnecessary risks and will resort to using alternative locations due to stigmatized lands”.On his part, NIESV First Vice President, Emma Wike, said the seminar was aimed at getting members acquainted with the latest trends in the professions to enable them compete favourably with other colleagues in other countries.He further called on government to involve professionals in decisions making as regards to policies on Land acquisition land management, saying such   would strengthen the policy and bring advancement in the country.

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