Inaugurates ‘Operation Show Your Title Document’
BY PATRICK MGBODO
The Delta State Government has reconstituted the subsisting Operation Show Your Building Plan Taskforce and expanded its terms of reference to strengthen development control and boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
With the broader mandate, the Taskforce has now been renamed Operation Show Your Title Document to curb development contraventions and check property tax evasion across the state.
The inauguration was performed in Asaba by the Chairman, Coordinating Committee for Revenue-collecting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and Commissioner for Finance, Chief Okenmor Fidelis Tilije.
The new Taskforce is structured as Ministry of Physical Planning – Chairmanship; Ministry of Lands and Surveys – Vice Chairman; ROOCA Global Ventures – Secretary; Ministry of Finance/Delta State Internal Revenue Service –Facilitator, and Office of the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command as Member.
The members of the re-constituted Taskforce are Mr Ewesuedo Eddy-Chairman, Mr. Ijeh Philip – Vice Chairman, Pastor Paul Esejo – Facilitator, Rooca Global (revenue consultant) –Secretary, and CSP Hassan Ibrahim – member
Other members include Mr. IkpahworeElo, Mr. Christopher Dedekuma, Mr. Pinnick Owumi, Mr. Daniel Umukoro, Mrs Mary Okoh, Mr. Emmanuel Osiebe, Mr. Emmanuel Awoviebe, Mr. Akpu Tochukwu, Mr. Nwabueze Egbuniwe, Mr. Sekobe James, Mr. Nwaebueze Mike, Mr. Okolo Moses and Barr. D. Esuzor.
Charging the members to live up to expectation, Sir Tilije emphasized civility in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the essence of the Taskforce is to ensure that all buildings in the state have their title documents to enable proper assessments for property tax (IGR) while also ensuring that development control and proper approvals are in place.
“The only way we can adequately plan for a prosperous and productive Delta is to ensure that a “Master Plan” is put in place and to achieve this. We must ensure orderly infrastructural development for our people,” Tilije said.
He further noted that the initiative was not designed to victimize residents, but to instill order in physical development.
The commissioner further explained: “We are not coming to bring down buildings or make life unbearable For Deltans but this Taskforce is charged to go to buildings, whether completed or under construction, to request for their title documents to do a holistic assessment. Buildings without proper planning permits and required titles will be pointed in the right direction’’.
Also speaking, the Executive Director (Operations) of the Delta State Internal Revenue Service, Prof Frank Nwugo, disclosed that the enforcement exercise would commence on September 16, 2025, beginning from Delta North Senatorial District, before extending to Delta Central and Delta South.
According to him, “We have discovered that many people move into Delta State and embark on building projects without meeting regulatory requirements. The government has a duty to act decisively, because we are not a lawless state.”
The inauguration ceremony ended with a call for Deltans to cooperate with the Taskforce as the government intensifies efforts to regulate urban development and increase revenue for the state.
