Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has opened an amnesty window to cult members in the state, encouraging them to renounce and turn a new leaf, while those in possession of illegal arms and ammunition have also been offered the same opportunity to surrender them to the authorities.
Governor Okpebholo made this offer on Tuesday when he met with the leaders of Obagie, Oke-Oroma, and Amagba communities over land and security concerns in Benin city, the state capital.
While reinstating his administration’s resolve to develop the proposed new city around the communities, the Governor said a technical committee would be announced soon to handle the restitution of cult members and criminally-minded youths in a bid to reduce the menace of violent crimes, including kidnapping.
The governor said a major component of the proposed amnesty for such youths would include skills acquisition and empowerment programmes to make them useful to themselves and the society on the long run.
While further assuring the visiting community leaders of his support to bring about lasting peace in their communities, especially as government embarked on the development of the new city in their domain, Governor Okpebholo promised that peace would be restored to all restive communities in the state, including Obagie, Oke-oroma and Amagba in Benin City.
He said government was ready to listen to the victims of demolition by the immediate-past administration and directed that “Those whose properties were affected should see the Committee on Land Resolution with their papers.”
On the development of LOT ‘A’ in the new city plan, the Governor said that government would look around and protect the traditional sites in the process of developing the new town, while those in LOT ‘B’ could come forward with their documents to the committee once the process commenced.
The Governor also added that government was ready to carry out a regularization of landed properties in the affected areas so that property owners could have their lands backed in other LOTS.
He called on property owners in the state to register their properties with Edo Geographical Information System.
“Survey your land and register them with Edo GIS so that you can collect your land titles, the governor advised”
In their reaction, the community assured the Governor of their total support, especially in the development of the LOT ‘A’ in the new city and in his drive to improve the security of their communities.
Michael Omoruyi, Abel Emokpae and Ebo Amagba, spoke for Obagie, Oke-Oroma and Amagba communities respectively.
Recall that Edo State Government, during the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki, had severally engaged the communities in violent confrontations, which the communities described as regrettable because of the loss of lives and properties.
They commended Governor Okpebholo for setting up the committee to engage them, saying it was the first time that the state government was interfacing with them since 2017 when their lands were first acquired by government.
Governor Okpebholo had a few weeks ago set up the Committee on Land Resolution in the state, with Dr Tony Ikpasaja as the Chairman and Dr Abdulwasiu Oyakhire as Secretary.
Other members of the Committee include the Surveyor-General of the State, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning, a State counsel from the Ministry of Justice and Dr Felix Iyalomhen from the office of the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly.