To curb the menace of land grabbing and encroaching in Enugu State, a bill for a Law to Prohibit Forceful Entry and Illegal Occupation of Land Properties, Violent and Fraudulent Conducts about Land Properties in Enugu State and for Connected Purposes (HB 5), 2024 has scaled through second reading at the Enugu State House of Assembly.
Opening the debate on the bill, Iloabuchi Aniagu, Minority Leader and member representing Nkanu West Constituency reeled out the advantages of the bill if passed into law; correct anomalies in land administration in the state, curb activities of land grabbers and encroachers, spelling out punishment for defaulters, encourage investors, raise the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, of the state.
But Osita Okoh, member representing Enugu East Urban Constituency raised a concern as regards the bill.
Okoh questioned the definition of a land grabber and encroacher; his concern is that if not clearly defined, innocent persons may be affected unjustly.
Addressing the concerns raised by Okoh, the member representing Ezeagu Constituency Chima Obieze cited the recently passed Enugu State Geographic Information System Service law as taking care of the ambiguities surrounding grabber, encroacher, and actual owner of any piece of land.
Commending the bill as an effort to correct anomalies witnessed over the years, Obieze however said some sections are not practicable while some conflict with the Firearms law of the nation.
“There is a need to take time at the Committee level to do a thorough job so that we do not run the state into a conflict in the enforceability of this law,” Obieze reiterates.
The Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu appreciating the lawmakers for a robust debate, referred the bill to the Committee on Lands and Urban Development, Environment, Education; Enugu Capital Territory; Judiciary, Public Petition, Ethics and Privileges for an in-depth study and possible corrections of concerns raised during the debate.
Meanwhile, a bill for a law to establish the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences Teaching Hospital Igbo Eno and for other connected purposes (HB 4), 2024 has scaled through third reading and passed.
