Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
Hard times await persons involved in illegal acquisition of land as the state government has moved to check the menace of land grabbing.
The Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Retired Captain Iniobong Ekong announced this when he paid a courtesy visit on the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Amiengheme Andrew at the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia. Retired Captain Ekong said the action became necessary so as to protect citizens and investors who acquire land for the purposes of development.
The Commissioner who was accompanied on the visit by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Godwin Udoh and other management staff in the ministry, noted that in order to successfully deliver on the ministry’s mandate, zero tolerance has been declared on crimes related to land and water.
Retired Captain Iniobong Ekong expressed satisfaction at the tremendous cooperation he enjoys from his ministry’s management and staff since assumption of office in March this year and called for sustenance of the gesture to enable the ministry achieve set goals.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Amiengheme Andrew in a remark, promised that the Command would do everything within its powers to assist the ministry to succeed. Mr Andrew said the Police has the record of numerous land cases and that people have always been so emotional about land matters. Mr Amiengheme Andrew prayed God to imbue Retired Captain Ekong with the wisdom and strength to pilot the affairs of the ministry.
In a similar visit to the State Director of Security, the Lands and Water Resources’ Commissioner, Retired Captain Iniobong Ekong appealed to the state Security Agency for assistance to collectively address the issues of land grabbing and related crimes.
Commissioner Ekong stressed that the importance of land to the development of any society cannot be over emphasized, hence the need for his ministry to step up effort towards the effective handling of land matters.
The State Director of Security, Mr M. A. Kaumi alongside other Deputy Directors of Security who were on hand to receive the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Retired Captain Iniobong Ekong, congratulated him on his appointment.
Mr Kaumi while wishing the Commissioner a hitch free stay in office pledged the support of his agency to put a stop to the ugly trend of event in land acquisition. Highlights of the visit were exchange of mementos between the lands and Water Resources Commissioner, the Police Commissioner and the State Director of Security.
