How EdoGIS tackled land grabbing, racketeering in Benin

Land grabbing and racketeering used to be the order of the day in Edo State.

 Thus, the real estate sector’s development was hampered as many transactions involving land ended up in court.

In the not-too-distant past, Community Development Associations (CDAs), headed by youths in their various communities,  were in charge of land administration in the state, especially Benin City.

 Then, a plot of land was sold to about four or five people, while some were lucky to be compensated with another plot in  very remote areas in the community. Many buyers lost their land and money, as the CDA members became super rich and untouchable.

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Mr James Edogamhe, one of the victims of land grabbing during the CDA era, said he lost his land and money to the CDA members.

He said, “I paid for a land at  Irhirhi community and unknown to me, the land had already been sold to different other people. When I went to start developing the land, I discovered that another person had already moulded blocks on the land.”

He said in the course of investigation, he discovered that the same plot of land was sold to five unsuspecting buyers, adding that he lost the land and his money in the process.

 But the ugly incident took a new twist in 2017, when the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, banned activities of the CDA and, supported by the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, with legislations, outlawed the CDA under any guise across the state.

As part of efforts to make land acquisition easy and stress-free,  Obaseki established the Edo State Geographical Information System (EdoGIS), to revolutionalise the real estate sector and the built environment in the state.

 The mandate of EdoGIS was to register, grant and procure all land titles including C of O, right of Occupancy, customary titles as required by law;  and grant of consent in land transaction as required by law to anyone who requires the services of the agency on the subject matter of land.

EdoGIS also undertakes land acquisition and compensation on behalf of the state government.

A resident, who gave his name as Idemudia Osaro, said but for the EdoGIS, he would have lost N2 million to land speculators.

 “I got a piece of land in Eayen at the cost of N2.5 million in a good location. I told the supposed owner that I will only pay the money after verifying the ownership of the land.

“I went to EdoGIS to verify the plot of land and behold it had already been surveyed by the real owner and a C of O had been issued on it. If it was in the past, I would have lost my money,” he said.

Osaro added that it is no longer easy for land grabbers or land speculators to dispossess people of their money in the name of buying land now.

A real estate  and property developer, in Benin City, Nurudeen  Ekhorutomwen, said EdoGIS is  doing very well in the area of supervision,  getting land survey, C of O and approval with less hassle.

Ekhorutomwen, who is  the chairman, Tough Engineering Property and Constructions Ltd, said in the past, ‘when you buy a land and survey it, about two to three persons can still buy that same land and also survey it  thinking  it is their land.

“But now, once you do a survey on a land and take it to GIS, they will tell you  the real owner of such land and by then you  will  know if that land is yours or it is a fraud, already sold to someone else,” he added.

He said EdoGIS is working the way a ministry or government agency is supposed to work to save the citizens from being defrauded of their money.

On his part, the Managing Director, Edo State Geographical Information  System, ESV, (Mrs) Grace Osaro Aihie,  said land grabbing and racketeering have reduced drastically with the  establishment of EdoGIS in the state.

“EdoGIS has made search on a land to know whether it is free or not, whether genuine or not, so that prospective land buyers would not fall prey to land grabbers and racketeers and throw their money away.

“So, when you conduct the land search with our agency, we will be able to tell you the owner of the land, whether the land is engaged or is within government’s acquisition, and once you  know the status of the land you can stay off it and save yourself from unnecessary trouble and you won’t lose your money,” she said.

 She explained that getting a Certificate of Occupancy is easy now as it is processed within 30 working days of  furnishing the agency with all the necessary documents.

Aihie added, “Once your papers are complete and you pay the necessary fees, you get your title within 30 working days of your application.”

 She said the agency has made the process of acquiring C of O less cumbersome, cheaper and timely.

According to her, the process is democratised and one  doesn’t need connections in the agency to get the C of O.

“What is required is for applicants to visit our customer service to inquire about any business. There are dedicated staff in the front desk offices ready to address issues presented to them. EdoGIS has made the process easier as we don’t see ourselves as a government but a service provider.

“The whole process is quite clear, if you visit our website, all our forms, requirements and fees to pay for a land title are there. You can download our form or come to the office to pick one.

 “After it has been filled, it will be sent back accompanied with appropriate documents, including a survey plan prepared by a registered surveyor. A passport photograph and utilities bill of current address with a processing fee of N50,000.

She said EdoGIS has introduced the secured electronic C of O and has done away with the old system of manual computation and application, thereby making it possible to apply and pay online.Also speaking, Chris Ebi, Edo State chapter chairman of the  Real Estate Developer Association of Nigeria (REDAN), said the decision to ban the CDA which was the vehicle for land grabbing in the state, has greatly made getting a title document easier, as against before when it would take a very long time and was cumbersome.

 “But now, within a few weeks, a title would be in your hand and he who owns the title is the owner of the land. EdoGIS has really made land acquisition easier,”  he said.