A combined team of the Northern Regional Security Council and officials from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are to fashion out strategies to halt the massive encroachment on government lands in the Northern Region.
The decision was taken at a REGSEC meeting by the Northern Regional Security Council and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources at a closed-door as part of the Minister’s 6-day tour of the five regions in the North.
Addressing journalists after the meeting Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor said the massive encroachment on government lands is quite alarming and government will not condone it.
He said the Northern Region is gradually becoming the gateway to Northern part of Africa and resources must be Marshall to develop the region. Touching on forest reserves in the region, Mr Jinapor said it is shocking the way residential apartments and car washing bays are sprinkling up in some forest reserves and directed the Forestry Commission and Regional Security Council to as a matter of priority stop the trend.
The Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Shaibu, said the combined team of REGSEC and officials from the ministry including traditional authorities in the region will meet to discuss and develop a plan to stop the encroachment on government lands.
He said there is litigation on some of the government Lands because of how it was acquired and called for proper interpretation of the Legislative instrument on how such lands were acquired.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister later met with agencies under his ministry and asked for their support to actualize the vision of the President.
By: Felix Cofie.
