Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan

Oyo State Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Survey, Mr. Ajiboye Omodewu, has said  245 Electronic Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) are ready for collection at the Ministry.

Omodewu who made the disclosure in Ibadan, also announced the dismissal of all ad-hoc staff at various State Town Planning Offices, directing that they should vacate the premises immediately.

He reiterated that the state government had moved from analogue Certificates of Occupancy to electronic ones for efficiency and technological advancement.

The commissioner stated that the electronic C of O has encrypted security code which is unique to the owner, adding that the picture of title holder would appear on it with the survey plan of the land printed at the back of the certificate in order to prevent fraudulent productions.

Omodewu urged members of the public to take advantage of the electronic C of O to have proper title documents, noting that this protects land owners from land grabbers.

Director-General, Bureau of Physical Planning and Development Control, Mr Waheed Gbadamosi, while speaking on activities of ad-hoc staff, stated that they were issuing fake receipts and bank tellers to unsuspecting members of the public, as well as posing as Town Planning Officers at the various Town Planning Offices in the State.

He explained that after the Bureau got a tip-off about the circulation of fake receipts and Bank Tellers by these unscrupulous people, it delegated some officials to carry out investigations on the matter which eventually led to the arrest of one of the culprits named Mr. Asumo Taofeek Abiola at Akinyele Local Government who is now in Police custody.
 
Gbadamosi stressed that government has therefore given a directive that all ad-hoc staff at various State Town Planning Offices should vacate the premises, stating that they will be arrested and handed over to the Law Enforcement Agents if they refuse to vacate the premises.