In recent times, the songs on the lips of the management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin has been the widespread encroachment of its vast land by some people it described as land grabbers.
The speeches of the rector of the pioneer tertiary institution in Kwara State, Dr Abdul Jimoh Mohammed during the last three convocations of the institution were laced with complaints about the encroachment of the institution’s land by the land grabbers.
At one of the convocation ceremonies, the rector did mention that over 70 percent of the polytechnic’s land had been encroached. He then sought the state government’s assistance in recovering the institution’s land from the encroachers.
Though, the state government did not directly intervene in the matter, succour, however, came the way of the polytechnic on 14th February, 2024 through some resolutions passed by the state House of Assembly on the vexed issue.
On that day, the report of the House Committee on Public Petitions on the petitions titled “Save our Soul” Kwara State Polytechnic Encroachment on Communal Land and High-Handedness” and “petition Against the Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin” was presented and laid on the table of the House by the chairman of the committee, Hon. Lawal Ayansola Salihu (Malete/Ipaye/Oloru).
Thereafter, the House considered the report at the committee of whole and resolved as follows;
The legislature rged the concerned parties to maintain the status quo on the places where there are cases pending before the courts since it will be prejudicial for the House to intervene on any matter that is before any competent court of law.
It urged members of the Budo Lima communities to allow peace to reign by tolerating the construction work at the TetFUND project site to continue unhindered because its completion has duration
It urged the polytechnic’s management and members of the concerned communities to explore necessary diplomatic avenues for amicable resolution of areas of difference in line with the master plan of the institution;
It urged the Visitor to the Polytechnic, the governor of Kwara State, to approve fund for the management for the construction of perimeter fencing on the land of the institution as this will forestall further encroachment and curb the criminalities of the land grabbers and vandals alike.
The House also advised prospective buyers of any land that has close proximity to the polytechnic to seek clearance from the relevant unit of the institution on any possible encumbrance, failure of which attracts forfeiture of the property.
It further urged the governor to direct the Ministry of Justice to facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on PPP arrangement between the polytechnic’s authority and the owners of identified structures/building illegally built on the territory of the polytechnic land on an agreed term to boost its internal generated revenue (IGR).
The House also urged the community heads and concerned community leaders to report any new /upcoming structural development within the defined territory of the institution to the polytechnic’s authority.
This medium gathered that the polytechnic has consequently initiated moves to stop further encroachment on its vast land, pending the time the state government will provide funds for the construction of a perimeter fencing on the institution’s land as advised by the legislature.
When our reporter visited the polytechnic’s campus during the week, it was observed that the management of the institution has commenced the clearing of its unused land for agricultural purposes.
The vast land being cleared is situated between the junior staff quarters and the institution’s stadium.
Starting point near juniour staff quaters
The rector of the polytechnic, Dr Jimoh Abdul Mohammed told our reporter that,” the clearing of this vast land for agricultural purposes is a pre- emptive measure to protect the land from being encroached by the land grabbers.
Mohammed said the institution’s management while awaiting help from the state government on the perimeter fencing of the institution’s land will not fold its arms and allow unauthorized persons to take over its land.
He explained that the vast land was being cleared for the purpose of commencing a training farm for the agriculture students.
This medium recalls that the management of the institution had been having a running battle with the land grabbers who had taken a large chunk of the institution’s land.
The alumni association of the polytechnic under the leadership of Engr. Abu Salami, had vowed to use every legal means to recover the land of the institution from the encroachers, calling on the state government to assist it in realising this goal.
This medium reports that the agitation for the recovery of the polytechnic’s encroached land became more intense when some suspected land grabbers attempted to halt the construction work on a 200- capacity lecture hall being undertaken by the tertiary education trust fund ( TetFUND) in the institution.
