…Signs Property
Protection, Neighbourhood Safety Laws
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday
fulfilled his pledge of making the menace of land grabbing in Lagos a thing of
the past with the signing of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law.
Governor Ambode also signed the Lagos State Neighbourhood
Safety Corps Law, a move which is majorly aimed at boosting security of lives
and property in all the Local Government Areas and Local Council Development
Areas of the State.
Speaking at the signing ceremony which was attended by the
Lagos State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; the Chief Judge of the State,
Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade and other top government functionaries, Governor
Ambode said the laws were central to his administration’s focus of safeguarding
the lives of all residents, as well as attracting, growing investments and
improving the ease of doing business in the State.
"In addition to equipping our security agencies, we have now
created a legal framework to put some form of communal protection in place to
boost and support the great job the Nigeria Police is presently doing," Governor Ambode said.
The Governor, who explained that the Neighbourhood Safety
Corps would assist the police and other security agencies to maintain law and
order across the communities, added that the Neighbourhood Safety Agency, which
the new law established, would also be charged with the responsibility of
registering all private home security and any other person employed for private
home security amongst other things.
On the Properties Protection Law, Governor Ambode said the
need for the law followed the fact that one of the issues that discouraged
investors and hindered the ease of doing business in Lagos in the past had
always been the menace of land grabbing.
He recalled that a lot of would-be property owners
encountered untold harassment from exploitative land grabbers, adding that the
law now marks the end of the road for such land grabbers.
"The Lagos State Properties Protection Law will give legal backing
to the operations of our law enforcement officers. The main objective of this
Law is to ensure that our investors, businessmen and the general populace carry
on their legitimate land/property transactions without any hinderance or
intimidation henceforth.
"The Properties Law will eliminate the activities of persons
or corporate entities who use force and intimidation to dispossess or prevent
any person or entity from acquiring legitimate interest and possession of
property, ensure that the Special Task Force on Land-Grabbers work with all
Security agencies to ensure enforcement of State Government and Private
property rights in the State, and ensure proper coordination of the efforts of
the various agencies of Government charged with enforcing the State
Government’s rights over land in Lagos,” the Governor said.
Besides, Governor Ambode said the presence of the heads of
the three arms of government – the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, at the
signing ceremony was a confirmation of the seriousness and resolve of
government of Lagos State to address the issues once and for all.
While setting the tone for the signing ceremony earlier, the
State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said
the laws marked demonstration of promise kept by the present administration,
and recalled the donation of security equipment to security agencies on two
occasions within six months, which had aided the police and other security
agencies in reducing crime.
He added that the laws would go a long way in further
providing the necessary legal, human and material support to security services in
the discharge of their duties.
In his remarks, Speaker Obasa said the signing of the two
laws confirmed that Lagos is being governed by a responsible Governor and a
responsive government, adding that the move was also a clear and emphatic
message to criminals that Lagos is a no go area for their criminal activities.
Also, Chairman of Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Mr. Dele Oloke commended Governor Ambode for taking the
initiative on the laws, saying that the Properties Protection law would go a
long way in curbing the illegal activities of land grabbers, otherwise known as
Omo-Oniles and their sponsors, whom he said are sometimes respectable persons
in the society.
Highlights of the Properties Protection Law include the
reduction to barest minimum the activities of persons or corporate entities who
use force and intimidation to dispossess or prevent any person or entity from
acquiring legitimate interest and possession of property acquired through State
Government or private transactions.
On the other hand, highlights of the Neighbourhood Safety
Corps Law include, among others, the establishment of the Lagos State
Neighbourhood Safety Agency for regulation and control of Neighbourhood Safety
Corps activities.
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