By YINKA KOLAWOLE

Imo State government is working on a policy that will require land owners in the state to pay only N1,000 to register their land and obtain Certificates of Occupancy.

Governor Rochas Okorocha disclosed this in his remarks as the special guest at the 19th J. W. Ekpenyong Memorial Lecture organised by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyor and Valuers (NIESV) in Lagos recently. He identified the nation’s dysfunctional land registration system as a major cause of poverty in the country, and called for a review of the Land Use Act to make land easily available to citizens and to also make it valuable.

Okorocha challenged members of the Institution to be creative in their practice and join hands with government to build new cities as the country celebrates her centenary next year. He said Imo State is ready to partner with NIESV in developing the Oguta Lake City.

“My challenge to the members of this noble institution is that they should drive the creation of new cities as Nigeria celebrates 100 years of nationhood. This you can do by partnering with government to ensure that every land in the country has value, and the only way a land can have value is by registering the land and obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy. With government backing and with the name of the institution, the doors to every bank in the country will be opened to your members who wish to secure loans to develop new cities,” he remarked.

Okorocha noted that it was the lack of visionary leaders that had turned Nigeria into a rich country with poor people, and called for the devolution of power.

In his welcome speech on the theme of the lecture, ‘Honesty and Devotion in Nigeria’s Transformation Agenda’, NIESV President, Mr. Emeka Eleh, reminded members of the Institution that their professional training in project management and asset valuation placed them in good stead to transform the nation through honest and transparent leadership. “Members of NIESV, by their training and professional background, have the capacity to offer leadership that can transform the country,” he said.

Eleh challenged members of the institution to play active role in politics in order to initiate and influence policies of government. “Members of NIESV must become active in the politics of this country for the good of the profession and in the greater interest of Nigeria. It is only when you are in government through participation that you can initiate and influence policies affecting our profession and other Nigerians for good,” he said.