Buguma sandfilled Area and Illegal collections
The landowners of the sandfilled area of Buguma, the headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State are desirous to know the reason for the illegal collection of money from them by the Asari-Toru Local Government Council.
In 1992/93 the sandfilled area of the said place (Ibe-anga) was officially allocated to some citizens by the Rivers State Government, and payments were made as were stipulated by the government. Every such beneficiary was accordingly issued with the Surveyor’s Plan which clearly delineated one plot of land from another and were marked with beacons.
Since then some of the land have been developed while others are yet to be developed. But every land-owner knows his/her plot of land. The present Asari-Toni Local Government Area Council recently came up with a new development.
Last year 2010, the council introduced what they called “Land Verification Exercise” which they claimed was for the identification of plots of land for those who no longer could identify their plots. But they made it compulsory and collected the sum of Ten Thousand Five Hundred Naira (10,500.00) from every land-owner and issued receipts to cover Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) only.
The same verification exercise has been called for again this year (2011) and a compulsory payment of Ten Thousand Eight Hundred Naira (N10,800.00) only is being collected. Out of this sum, only Ten Thousand Naira is covered by their receipt.
Questions on the failure of the receipts to cover the total amount paid only received the answer: “That was the instruction of my supervisor”. The Council should inform the landowners and indeed the members of the Local Government Area why the sums of Five Hundred Naira (N500.00) and Eight Hundred Naira (N800.00) for 2010 and 2011 respectively were not receipted for. Secondly, we are eager to know which accounting system that is, and the supervisor/Accountant who is committing the broad-day1ight fraud to illegally enrich himself.
It will be appreciated if the council Chairman can immediately curb this brazen illegality.
AMABIBI INOMAYE
