Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun yesterday alleged that some traditional rulers have been found selling land belonging to the state government.
He warned that his administration would take disciplinary action against any person found selling land in its forest reserves and plantation.
Prince Abiodun gave the warning at the Statutory Meeting of the state Council of Obas, held at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He described the action of the people, including some Obas who sell government land, as unpatriotic.
He said: “We will continue to seek your support in the area of land.
Sadly, cases have been reported to us here in Abeokuta about some of our monarchs who have taken upon themselves to allocate government land, government forest reserve, plantations to others. They’ve been allocating and selling government land.
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“I have found this very difficult to believe. I consider this extremely unpatriotic that our monarchs will now begin to allocate such land to others and worst still, in some of the areas, the land is being allocated to non-Ogun State indigenes.
“Our Kabiyesis are colluding with people from outside Ogun State and giving our land to them in our plantations and they are coming there, deforesting them. They are destroying the plantation. They are planting Indian hemp there. I was completely heart broken when I heard this news and when we actually verified, it was true.
“As a responsible state government, we will not have any choice but to take disciplinary action against any person found culpable of such an act; any person, be it Kabiyesi or any person.
“Because, this land does not belong to me, it doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to our collective patrimony; it is our collective property that we own as a state. It is our commonwealth and we should endeavour to ensure that we do not engage in such acts like this capable of tarnishing the image of the royalty and the throne.”