The Cross River State Commissioner for Lands, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, has charged Zonal Town Planning Officers across the 18 Local Government Areas to uphold professionalism, transparency and strict compliance with established procedures in the discharge of their duties.
Ekpang gave the charge when the Zonal Town Planning Officers visited him in his office, marking their first official interaction with the Commissioner since his assumption of office.
He said the meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Ministry’s leadership and its zonal structures, while providing an avenue for the officers to present challenges affecting their operations and seek administrative support where necessary.
The Commissioner stressed that effective land administration and protection could not be achieved by one person or department, urging the officers to work as a team and maintain effective communication with the Ministry and other relevant departments.
Ekpang charged them to operate strictly within their jurisdictions and resist illegal developments, land grabbing, unauthorised occupation of property and other practices capable of undermining the state’s land administration system. He insisted that land-related disputes and grievances must be channelled through appropriate administrative and legal processes.
He also urged the officers to be proactive in identifying and reporting irregularities, while warning against bypassing established procedures or undertaking unauthorised interventions capable of creating confusion between departments and agencies.
On revenue and financial accountability, the Commissioner directed that all government payments must be made through approved channels and properly accounted for, warning officers against demanding or collecting money outside established government procedures.
He further called for improved coordination in the preparation and implementation of layouts, stressing that proper planning, documentation and record-keeping were essential to preventing future disputes, encroachment and other challenges associated with poorly executed layouts.
Ekpang assured the officers that the Ministry would provide necessary administrative and institutional support whenever genuine challenges exceeded their statutory authority, but stressed that such support would be matched by professionalism and results.
“If your work is not good, I will tell you and ask you to go back and fix it,” he said, emphasising that his commitment to defending officers would be matched by his expectation that they perform their duties properly.
The Commissioner reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening coordination between the Ministry and its zonal structures, urging the officers to remain dedicated to their duties, protect government interests and uphold a culture of openness, responsibility and adherence to due process in land administration.
Responding, the Director of Town Planning, Mrs. Evelyn Izidor, thanked the Commissioner for the opportunity to interact with the officers and present the challenges confronting them across the state. She said the engagement provided an avenue for the officers to seek clarification and draw the Ministry’s attention to issues requiring administrative intervention.
Izidor listed the challenges to include inadequate vehicles for accessing some interior areas, security concerns during field operations, shortage of manpower and inadequate workspace in some Local Government Areas. She appealed for the Ministry’s support in addressing the challenges to enable the officers discharge their responsibilities more effectively.
She expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen coordination between the Ministry and its zonal structures, while enabling the officers to better understand the administration’s expectations and improve service delivery across their respective jurisdictions.
By Afiong Ndem
