Kwara Moves to Recover Encroached Public School Lands
By Wellington Jopelo
The Kwara State Government has set up a committee to recover lands belonging to public secondary schools that have been illegally occupied by individuals and organisations in different parts of the state.
The committee was inaugurated by the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development in Ilorin to investigate and address the growing cases of encroachment on school properties.
The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Olanrewaju Bake, said the initiative was aimed at protecting school lands across the state.
According to the government, the committee will operate across the three senatorial districts to identify schools whose lands have been taken over or encroached upon.
Members of the committee are expected to carry out inspections of affected school properties and assess the level of encroachment in each location.
They will also document their findings and provide recommendations that will help the government recover the affected lands.
Officials said the committee will review existing land records and compare them with the original survey plans of the schools.
The process will also involve verifying ownership details through relevant government land agencies.
The state government said protecting school property is important to ensure that educational facilities remain available for students and future development.
The committee has been given six weeks to complete its assignment and submit a report to the state government.