By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Edo State Public Property Protection Committee has said it would not spare any encroacher into government properties, going by the newly signed law by Governor Monday Okpebholo, just as it revealed that not less than 500 government properties have been recovered in the last one year.
The chairman of the Committee, Eugene Okoloise, stated this at a press conference where he said that the state government has set up a special court to prosecute such offenders.
The governor few days ago signed a bill into law that prescribed 10 years imprisonment for anyone who violently or forcefully enters into state-owned properties.
Okoloise said he is passionate in making sure all government properties in the hands of individuals were recovered and warned that no one would be treated as a sacred cow in his bid to recover government properties.
He said, “Before now, there was no law empowering us to prosecute offenders. But now that the governor has signed this law, no excuse. Anyone caught would be prosecuted in accordance with the law. And to this effect, the government has set up a special court to prosecute anyone who sells or encroaches on government property.
“And I want to assure Edo people that anyone caught shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law, no matter how highly placed. We are not going to spare anyone or treat anyone especially for his or her status.”
He disclosed that his committee has started enlightenment through media houses and a community-to-commununity enlightenment campaign about the law.
“We are going to sensitise the general public including the rural dwellers that there is a new law to prosecute anyone that forcefully enters government property. I have plans of going round media houses to sensitise our people. Briefing you on the new law is part of the enlightenment campaign,” he said.
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