Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, has led top officials of his government to supervise the demolition of illegal structures in the capital, Yenagoa.
At the commencement of the exercise, Dickson declared that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure a well planned city and State.
Dickson vowed that government would not be intimidated by the owners no matter their position in society, stressing that all trespassers would have their building demolished.
The first victim was an uncompleted filling station at Otiotio area of Yenagoa, belonging to
his in-law, Walton Liverpool, who is also the Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board.
Speaking with journalists in Yenagoa, the governeor said the exercise was to signpost the commencement of ‘Operation Recover All Government Lands’, noting that the demolished filling station violated the law.
Dickson said once established that the land on which any properties are built belongs to the government, such buildings will go down.
The governor said “today, we are here to signpost the commencement of operation Recover all government lands. Any land with certified document acquired by this government or previous government or land for which government have once paid compensation would be reclaimed. To think that they are forgotten is misleading, because they are important to government, and any that intends to dare us would be dealt with in line with the law.”
He continued: ”We won’t allow government’s original plan for a well-planned society to be disrupted; no it won’t be tolerated in any form or guise.
He pointed out that those who have bought and the recipients of money paid to illegally acquire government land, would all be treated according to the law as criminal because one cannot give or purchase illegality.