A lawyer in Osun, Mr Oyekunle Abass, has advised Gov. Ademola Adeleke to sign Certificates of Occupancy before him to boost economic development of the state.
Abass, in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Monday, decried the alleged failure of successive governors in the state to sign Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for land titles
He urged Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun to urgently sign the C-of-O that have been awaiting governor’s signature for the past 12 years.
According to him, the state cannot be talking of attracting investors and successive governors fail to sign land titles before them.
Abass said that the inertia of the governors with respect to signing of C-of-O had negatively affected the state’s economy depriving it of huge revenue that could have been generated.
The lawyer said that many investors interested in investing in the state had been awaiting the governor’s signature to enable them embark on large scale development of business plans on such lands.
” I bought a land in Ejigbo in 2007 and between 2011 and 2012 , I applied for C-of-O with the intent that the document will get to me within the expected stipulated time.
” The land ministry went to inspect it, approved it and it was processed up to the stage for the then governor of the state to sign, that is the immediate past governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, before he left office,” the lawyer said .
According to him, the present administration of Gov. Adeleke has also not signed any C-of-O since his assumption of duty as the governor, and that is not acceptable constitutionally.
”My right has been trampled upon and I have taken a step legally on the matter.
“We are asking for an Order of Mandamus to compel the governor to sign the piles of C-Of-Os on his desk,” Abass said.