Alesa Community in Eleme Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State Government has established a land development authority in alignment with the state government to eradicate land grabbing in the community.

Alesa, host to the Port Harcourt Refineries and several other investments has become so cosmopolitan that land acquisition for the increasing number of home and investment developers now induces land grabbing in the area.

Inaugurated 5 December by the Paramount ruler of Alesa, Emperor JD Mkpe, the Alesa Land Development Committee (ALDEC) headed by Mr Emmanuel Olaka, is projected to be a model to fighting land frauds across the state.

The traditional ruler told stakeholders, “Alesa is a community that has embraced other people. People from the northern community, people across the country are here, making us a cosmopolitan community.

“Because we have got a lot about land sales, we are now faced with a situation whereby some persons will go into another person’s land and sell without the owner’s notice. We have cases of minors unqualified to sell landed property, now selling recklessly without letting their elders know.”

According to him, because of the setbacks and problems induced by sharp practices in land transactions in our community, “We have inaugurated a land development committee whose duty is to see into all these issues and report on them. This will make both buyers and sellers feel very free in Alesa.

“We seize this opportunity to warn; if you sell any land to anybody without this committee’s knowledge or consent, you are doing so at your own risk. If you are buying any land from Alesa, this committee will know.

“By this, we will track those selling land to you, so you don’t buy land from a wrong person. We also do not want you to buy land from under-aged persons (children) who will sell land and run away.

“We do not want anyone to drag the name of this community to the mud. By what we have now done, Alesa has emerged as a place where you can come and invest. Our hands and doors are open. Let no one deceive you because your hard earned money must be protected.

“We encourage investors and businesses to feel free to come and invest in Alesa. We will not allow them to invest their money where it will be wasted. Those buying lands without due diligence, we advise to henceforth desist from buying land from anyone.”

On the collaboration with the state government, the paramount ruler said, “We are duly registered so we can have government backing every land aquisition with issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

“We are also integrating our tradition so if you deviate from what you are asked to do, you are the one that will bear the consequences. If you’re caught stealing land, we will hand you to the Police.”

To those acquiring, the Committee’s new rule now stipulates, “You buy and develop, not keep for decades. Failure to develop after five years, the land will be forfeited to the government of Rivers State.

“We have lands people bought when nobody here today was born. Today, those landowners are having problems. Any land bought here, we have your drawing and plan in the office so that even if you are no more, your land will be protected for your children.”

Drawing from experiences of initiatives introduced by Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals and Housing and Construction Mayor Limited, two key investors in the community, the community has also declared, “No buying of land in perpetuity.

“There must be a percentage set aside for the children and grandchildren of the aboriginal land owners so they can meet and enjoy the dividends of their fathers’ labour.”

Olaka who heads the ALDEC pledged his Committee’s commitment to “ensure Alesa develops faster. Those coming to invest will not have any trouble. We are going to work in harmony with the Alesa Council off Chiefs, supporting investors to do what is right.”

Welcoming the development, My-ACE China, housing investor and key driver of the Alesa Sustainable Green Smart City, commended the community for being intentional in the war against land grabbing and fraud.

He said the development would augur well for the green city being initiated in the area and other projects coming to Alesa.