By David, Torough Abuja

Land grabbing and fraudulent sale of lands may suffer a setback in Rivers State as government-approved but community-based land development authority has been set up in Alesa, the host community to the Port Harcourt Refineries.

Some top real estate developers including the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, have voiced support for the emergence of a land committee in Alesa, calling on other communities to emulate Alesa so that sanity can return to land transactions.

The land development committee system may provide solution as Rivers State begins experimenting the community-based control system.

The experiment saw the light of day in Alesa Eleme where the Alesa Land Development Commiittee (ALDEC) was inaugurated Friday, December 5, 2025 by the paramount ruler of Alesa, Emperor JD Mkpe.

Rivers State has been gripped by the vicious hold of land grabbers who have moved with armed hoodlums backed by security agencies to crush opponents and take over lands or even built up spaces.

The Alesa community, hub of many federal and state projects are located, has floated the recommended formula with the strong support of Emperor JD Mkpe, their paramount ruler, said to be a respected leader known for his commitment to peace, education, community development, and support for law enforcement, often advocating for better infrastructure and governance in his area.

Inaugurating the committee headed by Mr Emmanuel Olaka, businessmen and strong pillar in Alesa, the paramount ruler condemned sharp practices in land sales in the state with Alesa as an example.

Mkpe’s eye-opener:

The paramount ruler said: “Alesa is one of the 10 communities in Eleme and we are the first community in Nigeria that has refineries. The Port Harcourt Refinery (1&2) that has a lot of pipelines surrounding us. We have done a lot of contribution in making sure Nigeria stands great among all nations.

“We are made up of about 13 communities due to expansion. When I say 13 communities, Alesa is a community that has embraced other people. You can see here some people from the northern community. All the communities are here. That is why Alesa is known as a cosmopolitan community.”

Today, he stated, “Because we have got a lot of information about sale of land, and because we now have a situation whereby other persons will go into another person’s land and sell without the owner’s notice. We have also got information about minors who are not qualified to sell landed property, now selling land without letting their elders know.”

We rise against bad land practices:

He said bad land practices have created a lot of problems in their community. “And that is why today, we are going to inaugurate a land development committee whose duty is to see into all these issues and bring up report about them. This will make both buyers and sellers feel very free in Alesa.

“We seize this opportunity to warn thus: if you sell any land to anybody without this committee’s knowledge or consent, you are doing it at your own risk. If you are buying any land from Alesa, this committee will know. By this, we will track those selling the land to you so that you don’t buy land from a wrong person. We also do not want you to buy land from an under-aged persons (children) who will sell land and run away.”

Investment and image crisis:
Alesa is regarded as the preferred investment zone of Rivers State and Port harcourt. Its image just that of Onne is sensitive. The paramount ruler thus said: “We do not want anyone to drag the name of this commodity to the mud. By what we have now done, Alesa has emerged as a place where you can come and invest. Our hands and doors are open. Let no one deceive you because your hard earned money must be protected.

“We are also seizing this opportunity to encourage investors and businesses to feel free to come and invest in Alesa. We have many investors already showing interest and some are already here, who are interested in investing here. We will not allow them to invest their money where it will be wasted. To those buying lands without due diligence, we advise them to please henceforth desist from buying land from anyone.

“The question of cutting corners to buy lands is totally canceled in this community because we want to protect investors’ funds. This is because some of the investors borrowed huge sums but at the end, the land they bought is a one.”

He said they are also partnering with the Rivers State government on the project because those who buy land in Alesa with due process would be backed all the way to acquisition of certificate of occupancy (CofO).

“We are duly registered and we hereby show the world our certificate of registration and recognition. This is not a shabby arrangement. We have the registration and the authority which we have here as a body approved by the government to go into this development. This also is the registered constitution of the body.
“We are also integrating our tradition so that if you deviate from what you are asked to do, you are the one that will bear the consequences. There is no body that is as old as what (staff) I am holding in my hand here. So, every child, woman, or man who will go to steal someone’s land to sell, if you are caught, you will be dealt with. We will hand you over to the government. We will also make sure that whatever land you buy here, will be registered with the government of Rivers State through the office of the Surveyor-General and the Ministry of Land and that of Housing. This is to permanently stop land grabbers.

Land grabbers beware:

Those wishing to go to Alesa as land grabbers, the paramount ruler issued stern warning. “Please do not come near this commodity because if we catch you, we will show you the way out.
“So that is the reason we are here today so that anybody who is buying land here should come and identify with us so your money can be safe.

“Thirdly, we will not want anyone to sell land again. We know the designated areas for government. Anyone that dares go close to the government land is doing so on his own. And that is the reason why this body is also standing gallantly and strongly to protect government lands and other forms of property. They will help to identify areas belonging to the government.”

Develop your land or forfeit it:
He made another important announcement. He called investors to buy and develop immediately. “We want you to buy and develop, not to keep for decades. Failure to develop your land after five years, the land will be forfeited to the government of Rivers State as a ‘waste land’ that you do not want to develop. So we are here not to maltreat any individual, we are not here to punish anyone, but to make sure your money is safe.”

The king said they have been receiving reports. “We have lands that people bought when nobody here today was born. Today, those landowners are having problems. If they had bought those lands through this office that period of time, maybe their money and land would be protected. Any land that is bought here, we have your drawing and plan in the office so that even if you are no more, your land will be protected for your children. By this arrangement in place now, nobody will go back to sell your land in your absence.

Equity for the aboriginals:
The host communities of Indorama-Eleme Petrochemicals have become about the first host community in Nigeria to be equity holders to a project in their community. The next is the Housing and Construction Mayor Limited which has given the aboriginal land owners 10% equity through corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment. Now, the community has ruled that the Mayor formula should now be the rule.

The king declared: “Also, you are not buying any land in perpetuity. There must be a percentage set aside for the children and grandchildren of the aboriginal land owner so they can meet and enjoy the dividends of their father’s labour. That is what we want to do so that everyone who has given out his plot of land in Alesa will be happy. The documentation of the land will accommodate the families of the buyer in the event of his demise, and the children of the seller, all this will be in the archive.”

He informed that the land committee has a good office where every vital piece of information is stored. “We are optimistic that this strategy will work for us all. One of the greatest persons who has been able to identify with us is the Mayor of Housing. He has been friendly to us and to our aspirations. One of two others have been supportive, but we would want them to come closer.”

Stop de-marketing Alesa – Emmanuel Olaka:
Speaking immediately after the inauguration, Olaka, the new chairman, vowed never to betray Alesa. “I hereby pledge never to betray this community or the palace. This is my hometown.

“Let me stand to say this afternoon, I want to really express my profound gratitude to God Almighty, who has made today possible for us to gather here, for this land development committee.

“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Alesa council of chiefs, the women, the youths, for nominating me to be the chairman of the Alesa Land Development Committee. I want to say this afternoon that I, Emmanuel Olaka, a bonafide son of Alaka, from Uwueke community, I will never disrespect this committee. I will always do what is right, so that my God will always stand by me. I will not be biased.”

He stated that the committee is not to make anybody fall but to make Alesa great. “This committee was formed because of the activities that are going on in our land. Some persons and some investors were trying to de-market Alesa, which is not acceptable. We will not accept that when there is no dispute, you go about telling people that there was dispute. What you are trying to do is to de-market Alesa.

“So the essence of this committee is to make sure that Alesa develops faster. Those coming to invest will not have any trouble. You will be unhurt. That is why the council of chiefs deemed it necessary to form this committee.

“We are going to work in harmony with the Alesa council of chiefs. We are not working for ourselves, but for the interest of Alesa, to make things go properly. We are not coming to do anything negative to the development of the community. We will always support investors to do what is right.”

Support galore:
The event witnessed huge turnout of the community, and various community leaders voiced strong support to the scheme. A youth, Director Osarokote Benson, who said he is the Scholar President, agreed that the scheme was very necessary.

A woman leader, Blessing Wuwu, a former councilor Humphrey Dada Obele, and Okenwii, a paramount ruler, all spoke in support of the land development committee initiative.

In his response, My-ACE China, the Mayor of Housing, who is behind the fast-approaching development in the area, the Alesa Sustainable Green Smart City, commended the community for leading the way and the war against land grabbing and land fraud. He said the development would augur well for the green city being initiated in the area and other projects coming to Alesa.

He urged other communities in Rivers State and beyond to move fast and inaugurate such committees to bring an end to land grabbing.

By Ebuka Ukoh

Nigeria surprises people who believe leadership involves duty. You watch a government hold an economic summit in a state that struggles with security. Then, you see who gets invited to headline it: The UK’s ex-Prime Minister arrives to applause, photo ops, and VIP escorts.

That spectacle passes for strategic governance.

The actual benefits remain unclear.

The recent Imo State Economic Summit 2025 received Boris Johnson as a star guest.

The UK politician stepped off the plane, looked around, and declared he felt “perfectly safe” in Nigeria, dismissing global reports that warn of serious insecurity. He praised the Imo governor’s performance in infrastructure, electricity, and youth innovation.

Foreign direct investment (FDI), he assured, would come.

That photo opportunity was not designed for Nigerians who line up daily to mourn kidnappings, inflation, and school closures. It targeted Western investors who judge countries by the smiles of visiting dignitaries. It helped the governor appear like a global statesman. It packaged Imo as a haven while many residents still live with and in fear.

The nation was told to celebrate because a British resident says our streets feel safe.

No evidence of improved safety. Only imported validation!

During that same summit, Johnson delivered a joke about Nigeria exporting “talent, tech geniuses, oil and gas” while importing from the West “former prime ministers, pharmaceuticals, bankers, and whiskey.” A few laughed. Others cringed. The line captured our tragedy more than Johnson intended. Nigeria exports its best brains and richest resources. Nigeria imports its conscience.

The objective of such events has become painfully obvious. If a foreign leader praises the governor, investors might follow. If a foreign newspaper prints flattering photos, the world might forget corruption and violence. This is not a development strategy. It is a creative direction. The goal is optics, because optics substitute outcomes.

Meanwhile, in Abuja, the screening of the newly appointed Minister of Defence revealed another layer of this insecurity of identity. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, warned the nominee with a comment that deserves a place in Nigeria’s museum of embarrassment. “Even Donald Trump is on our neck.” He explained that global concerns force senators to ask tough questions.

What exactly sits heavy on the Senate’s neck? The lives lost in communal attacks. The thousands displaced by insurgents. The schoolchildren who are sleeping in forests tonight. No. The pressure comes from a US president with no role in Nigerian governance. We are not accountable to the Nigerian people. We are accountable to whoever trends in Washington.

The Nigerian Constitution states that public officials swear to uphold the wellbeing and security of citizens. That oath sits beneath our leaders. Yet, fear of a foreign politician sits above them. The guardians of a sovereign nation do not tremble at the suffering of their people. They tremble at the thought of an outsider watching them fail.

This is the new theology of power. They look up to the hills. Their help does not come from Zion. Their help comes from Washington.

Nigeria’s leaders adopt foreign worry as their motivation. They take pride in foreign applause. They accept foreign humiliation as a joke to laugh along with. In the process, they turn the country into a stage designed to impress spectators rather than serve its citizens.

Foreign politicians help decorate our struggles so they appear less real. In Owerri, insecurity became a punchline. In Abuja, national defence became a talking point to appease an American media cycle. Both events served Western perception before Nigerian reality.

We pretend progress takes shape when someone who governed Britain once visits and smiles. We pretend accountability exists when a senator fears what a foreign news outlet might write. Build roads for cameras. Pressure ministers for CNN. Governance has become a performance directed at foreign audiences. The people living through hardship receive a supporting role. Their applause is not required.

Nigeria has rich human capital. Yet, our leaders behave like they are auditioning. Every foreign guest becomes a judge. Every summit becomes a runway. Every policy becomes a plea for recognition. Instead of building strength, they beg for approval. Instead of securing communities, they secure talking points.

Real development does not arrive on a chartered flight. It starts when leaders stop treating citizens as background props. It grows when government actions answer the cries in hospitals, farmlands, and classrooms. It demands courage to fix problems without looking over the shoulder at the West.

Decolonization begins in the mind. The most dangerous coloniser today is not a foreign nation. It is the belief that Nigerian competence is foreign and Nigerian dignity is negotiable. It is the idea that everyday Nigerians are too ordinary to deserve excellence unless a foreigner first gives them a rating.

When will Africa stop exporting its dignity and importing its conscience? When will leaders stop chasing selfies with visiting VIPs and start delivering safety, electricity, and justice for real? When will accountability to Nigerians outweigh the anxiety over Western perception? Our systems will grow only when our pride grows. Our security forces will focus only when fear of our people’s anger outweighs fear of foreign scolding.

This country has warriors in its history, innovators in its streets, and survivors in its villages. They all deserve leaders who act for them…not leaders who treat governance as auditioning for outside approval.

If Nigeria wants to be respected, leaders, respect Nigerians. If Imo wants economic growth, secure Imo people. If the Senate wants credibility, serve the nation that pays its salaries. Stop treating every political act like a formal request for validation.

Mr Ukoh, an alumnus of the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and PhD student at Columbia University, writes from New York.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Federal Ministry of Works have commenced a nationwide Special Tracking Exercise to ensure transparency and value in public infrastructure spending.

ICPC Spokesperson, Akor Odey, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

According to him, the initiative targets the physical verification and performance audit of 760 federal road projects with a combined contract value exceeding N36 trillion.

“The exercise, which commenced on Nov. 14, mobilises joint teams of ICPC investigators, engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works, and independent professionals from bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS).

“These teams are now deployed across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to conduct on-the-ground assessments.”

He said that this large-scale initiative was designed to achieve several critical national objectives.

Odey said these include enhancing fiscal governance to ensure sustainable, cost-effective infrastructure development and the optimal use of public funds.

Others, he said, included strengthening procurement integrity to investigate and deter fraudulent practices in the award of government contracts.

He said that part of the objectives also included enforcing contractor accountability, rigorously monitoring project execution, compelling the completion of abandoned projects, and ensuring adherence to contractual specifications.

Odey said that another objective was securing financial recovery, to recover public funds from projects found to be grossly inflated or where contractors have demonstrably failed to perform.

“The ongoing field work involves a detailed review of project sites, records, and deliverables. Following this phase, state-level reports will be consolidated into a comprehensive national audit report.

“The findings will highlight compliance levels, identify irregularities, and form the basis for determined enforcement actions by relevant authorities against any implicated individuals or entities.

“This exercise represents a proactive, system-driven approach to safeguarding our national infrastructure investments.”

According to him, tracking 760 projects of this magnitude underscores our resolve to partner with government institutions to close leakages, promote accountability, and ensure that public projects translate into tangible public goods.

He reiterated the ICPC commitment to collaborative governance efforts aimed at fortifying the integrity of Nigeria’s public procurement and project execution framework.