Hon. Lawi Moves for Urgent Halt To School Lands Encroachment In Kogi Central

 By Ismail M. Kabir

The member representing Okene 1 Constituency at the Kogi House of Assembly, Hon. Lawi A.T Ahmed has moved a motion of urgent public importance to forestall the incessant encroachment of public school land in Kogi central senatorial district.

This was sequel to recent viral reports of illegal activities of some desperate land grabbers acquiring school lands for private use under the guise of clannish ownership.

 The motion titled "Motion Of Urgent

Public Importance Calling On Kogi State Government To Halt The Encroachment On Public Schools Land In Okene I Constituency And Kogi Central At Large" was taken in the hallowed chambers of the house on Tuesday with some of the prayers urging the executive arm of the state to mandate the Commissioner for Education and the DG, Bureau of lands to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the affected schools to draw a resolution on the matter.

Other prayers contained in the motion include a call for urgent halt to all ongoing construction in the affected schools, implementation of appropriate penalty on offenders and othe drastic measures that would forestall the ugly practice.

The motion was seconded by the member representing Okene II constituency, Hon. Ahmed Dahiru aka Hacco with contributions from his Adavi counterpart Hon. Ibrahim Usman aka Okadigbo.

The motion also was unanimously supported by all members who condemned the attitude of the encroachers in bitter terms.

While responding, the Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole in his wisdom stepped down all the prayers as contained in the motion for the moment and directed the House committee on Lands and Housing to liase with the ministry of Education to go for an on the spot assessment of the affected schools and come back with a report in 2 weeks' time upon which the motion would be revisited.

The speaker added that the battle was a collective one since it had to do with the education and future of our children. He ruled that soon as the report was brought back, the house would swing into action to possibly consider all the prayers as contained in the motion for appropriate action.