By; MAGAJI HUNKUYI, Jalingo.
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has revoked all land sold inside areas earmarked for the multi billion naira Mambilla hydro-power project in the state.
The governor’s order was contained in a press release by his Chief Press Secretary Mallam Hassan Mijinyawa and issued to Newsmen in Jalingo Thusrday.
The release stated that the governor met with state holders including traditional rulers from Sardauna local government area where the project was sited, in his office and warned against such acts.
According to the release, the governor accused community leaders and the elites in the area of selling lands to land speculators from outside the state in the project site.
Darius warned that such practices must stop and revoked all previous transactions on sale and acquisition of land on the Mambilla plateau, the release further stated.
The statement said security reports before the governor indicated that community leaders have sold substantial part of the land in the project site to land speculators from different part of the country that trooped to the area to grab lands.
The statement said the power project was receiving the desired attention of President Buhari and therefore the governor will not allow individual or groups to thwart it.
“As a government we would not fold our arms and watch land speculators holds the project to ransom” Darius further warned.
He told the stakeholders that the land earmarked for the project will be properly mapped out for compensation to the native owners without involvement of land speculators, the release further stated.
