Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Friday urged the newly sworn in commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Barr. Chimaobi Patrick Okorie to spearhead the ongoing radical reforms in land administration.
Mbah, who gave the task at the Government House, Enugu, while performing the swearing-in of the commissioner, said with his rich background in the ICT sector, the new commissioner is expected to protect citizens of the state from land grabbers.
He said: “Our goals are very clear: we are automating our land title processes to facilitate the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy in not more than 72 hours.
Read Also: Supreme Court okays Diri, Ododo, Uzodinma’s election as Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo governors
“With the enactment of the Enugu State Geographic Information Services (EN-GIS) Law and Enugu State Properties Protection Law, we now have legislation for the digitization and digitalization of the land registry, protecting the citizens from land grabbers, ensuring transparency in all aspects of engagement with government and enabling self-service.
“The processes for obtaining building approvals are also being overhauled to save time and improve efficiency.
“We are de-risking investment in key sectors by providing access to land, providing support infrastructure, and managing engagement with host communities, among others. We are focused on growing our economy exponentially, creating wealth, and addressing crime and insecurity”, he stated.
Responding, the commissioner expressed appreciation for the opportunity to serve, promising not to disappoint the governor and the good people of the state.