The Oyo State House of Assembly, OYHA, has urged the executive to take proactive and decisive steps towards addressing the menace of land grabbing and encroachment of public school lands across the state.
The appeal followed a motion moved by the lawmaker representing the Oluyole State constituency, Mr Waheed Akintayo on Tuesday during a plenary presided over by the speaker, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin.
Presenting the motion, Mr Akintayo expressed displeasure that the situation in some government schools which were surrounded by indiscriminate erection of kiosks and illegal structures was problematic, making the environment unconducive for teaching and learning.
“It is disheartening to state that virtually all public school lands in the state had been encroached upon by unscrupulous individuals leaving the school environment not conducive for learning”. He stated
“Government over the years has paid lip service to the issue of encroachment of its landed properties. Most of these schools have been so bastardized to the extent that the proliferation of illegal structures be it residential or commercial have taken three-quarters or half possession of some public school lands in the state,” he revealed
Mr Akintayo called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to collaborate with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Office of Surveyor-General to set up an inter-ministerial committee to look into the original master plans or designs of some of the encroached public schools to erect perimeter fencing or corner piece.
In his resolutions, the speaker of the house, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin directed the Oyo State Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to expedite action in clearing shops and kiosks around public school premises across the state.
Radio Nigeria / Omowunmi Adewuyi