The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Education, Ramatu Ajuji-Abubakar, has warned that anyone found encroaching on land belonging to primary school, secondary school and tertiary institutions in the state will be prosecuted.
Ramatu gave the warning on Wednesday in Lafia during the inspection of the ongoing West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at the Government Science School, Lafia.
According to her, the alarming rate of encroachment on lands belonging to public schools across the state by individuals and groups needed to be checked.
“If nothing is done urgently, we would wake up one day and discover that government schools have been turned into private homes and business premises by individuals.
“So, a Committee would be set up to go round all the public schools in the state specifically to get records of the encroachment on school lands for prompt action.
“As soon as the committee submits its reports, the ministry would then immediately begin the process of reclaiming all the lands which includes taking legal action,” she said.
The commissioner said encroachment on the lands had distorted the original plans of government to raise structures in schools across the state.
She disclosed that the ministry was collaborating with the State Ministry of Lands and Survey to address all issues related to land encroachment in public schools.
She expressed satisfaction with the conduct of both the supervisors and candidates writing the WASSCE in the school and urged them to sustain it.
