By Precious Oluwole

In a bid to have a State free of cheaters and land grabbers, the Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday committed a bill for a law to prohibit forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to landed properties in the State.

The bill sponsored by Hon. Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju representing Ondo West constituency 1 was committed to the House Committee on lands and housing during a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji

Also, a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of a board for the management of secondary schools was committed to committee stage

This was after the bills have scaled through second reading at the plenary.

Speaking on the bill, Hon. Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju, described it a landmark achievement for the 10th assembly as a private member bill has been commited to the committee Stage. “The 10th Assembly in it’s mandates to ensure that the people of Ondo State see the dividend of democracy has taken up the distinguished honor to committed the bill to the committee state”.

According to him, the anti land grabbing bill. hopes to curb the menace of the land grabbers, stressing that it will criminalise the menace called “Omo -Onile” in the society. “The bill will ensure that people who extort land owners will be brought to book by the establishment of task force to ensure that these land grabbers are dealt with immediately. It will also protect land owners from dubious agents, who sell property to two or three people, it will criminalise such act, that any agent who sell property to a prospective buyer and knows that the land is not for sale, will face a huge penalty.

He stressed that the House would ensure that the bill pass through the required stage and become law.

Other lawmakers also affirmed that the bill when passed into law will eradicate forceful invasion and land grabbing thereby further fostering peace and development in the State.

Earlier, while speaking on the bill for a law to provide for the establishment of a board for the management of secondary schools, the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Hon. Sulaiman Murtala said that the bill is long overdue saying that the achievement made by SUBEB, proofs that secondary schools need a board that will govern, monitor and discipline secondary school teachers.

According to him,when the bill is passed into law, it will help Ondo State Secondary School system in terms of development and infrastructures.

In his reaction,the Speaker commended the State government for taking a step towards transforming the sector and build the future of the students.

According to him, the board will be able to ensure, discipline ,thorough supervision,direct and block loopholes in the system for effective service delivery.

Other lawmakers said that most secondary schools do not have a conducive place for learning, hence if the board is being created, it will be in charge of monitoring the affairs of secondary schools and thereby get the development they deserve.