Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has inaugurated an 11-member Special Task Force on Identification and Recovery of Government Property.
The panel is to recover government property illegally acquired by private individuals, communities and corporate organizations within and outside the state.
The task force has two weeks to submit interim report to government.
The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, named Iboro Ige Idaba as chairman of the committee, while Moses Teibowei is to serve as Secretary.
Other members include Solicitor-General of the state, Preye Agedah; Surveyor-General, Moses Doubeni and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Boma Spero Jack.
The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri; Assembly Goin, Loveday Owubokiri (representing the Nigeria Police), Ogbole Fredrick (representing the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps) and Wisdom Franklin are also members of the panel.
Governor Dickson expressed displeasure over the cases of encroachment on government’s property by individuals and communities and called on them to identify and take inventory of all government lands.
He said other terms of reference for the task force include identification of government lands which process of acquisition had been completed and duly gazetted as well as those not yet concluded.
The panel also has the responsibility of identifying and recovering lands that government has already indicated interest in acquiring and land ceded to Bayelsa in the old Rivers State.
It is also mandated to determine levels of encroachment if any and take steps to retrieve and recover such lands as well as initiate processes of perfecting all such government landed titles.
Mr. Dickson urged the task force to prepare a comprehensive register comprising all government-acquired land and forwarded it to the state’s physical planning department, solicitor general of the state, the secretary to the state government, the Bayelsa Geographical and Information System (BGIS) and the state’s Surveyor General.
He charged members to create the necessary awareness on the need for members of the public to be aware of government lands and the need for them to make relevant inquiries from relevant agencies before purchasing any land.
