Land ownership, status in Maitama, Asokoro, others for probe by Reps

The ownership and status of undeveloped but allotted lands within the highbrow districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, including Maitama, Asokoro and Guzape have come under serious scrutiny by the House of Representatives which recently unveiled plans to investigate all these.

The House has mandated its committee on FCT chaired by Herman Hembe to investigate these identified districts where full infrastructure have been provided by the government but developments are not taking place, and report back to the chamber within four weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution to this effect was passed following the adoption of the motion co-sponsored by Emmanuel Ekon and Uzoma Nkem-Abonta on the “need to establish the status of undeveloped allotted plots in the FCT’ and to take measures geared towards enforcing the terms and conditions for such grant and allotment and establish the identity and ownership of properties in the highbrow areas of the territory.”

The Committee is also expected to recommend measures to ensure the enforcement of the terms, conditions and covenants contained in the Rights of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy given each allottee of undeveloped land in the FCT.

In his lead debate, Ekon blamed Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Department of Land Administration, Department of Development Control, Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and other relevant agencies for failing to enforce the terms and conditions regarding development of allotted land within a specific period of time.

The lawmaker alleged that the lackadaisical attitude of the regulatory bodies encourage the proliferation of land speculators who keep lands undeveloped for several years and thereafter sell at exorbitant prices.

Ekon who added that the unchecked activities of land speculators contributed to the hike in the cost of accommodation across the nation’s capital city, argued that “if the practice is not checked, the noble efforts of the government to address the housing needs of the FCT will continue to be frustrated by land speculators to the detriment of helpless Nigerians”.

“For the purposes of security in the FCT, probity, payment of appropriate property taxes and rents, there is an urgent need to determine the identities of the owners of all properties, both developed and undeveloped, in the highbrow areas of the FCT,” he submitted.

KEHINDE AKINTOLA