Wike inaugurates committees on River Park Estate, land use abuse

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike on Friday inaugurated two committees to address the land issues at River Park Estate and abuse of the Land Use Act in the FCT.

Wike, while inaugurating the committees in Abuja, described the two issues as “very important” in streamlining the activities of the FCT Administration on emerging land matters.

He said that the River Park Committee would be chaired by the General Counsel/Secretary, Legal Service Secretariat and acting Director, Public Service as secretary.

He pointed out that sometimes the government gives out letters of intent to those who declare interest to develop mass housing.

According to him, the FCT Administration always signs MoUs with estate developers, adding, however, that in most cases, the clauses in the agreements end up being violated.

The minister explained that the river park estate committee was inaugurated to look into the land issues in the estate and advise the FCTA on the necessary steps needed to correct the anomalies.

He said that the committee has two weeks to conclude the assignment, adding that there would be no extension of time.

“So, if it requires you to sit from morning till night, may it be so. We will not delay,” he said.

Wike advised the committee to carry out the task with utmost professionalism and warned the members against giving in to internal or external influence.

“If I hear that somebody has interest, be it from outside or be it from the FCTA, particularly Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the administration department, you know the consequences of it.

“If there’s any department that’s trying to stop you from getting information, let me know on time,” he said.

The second committee was on the review of land uses/purpose clauses of land and properties at locations overtaken by commercial and other activities.

It will be chaired by the Director, Development Control, with Director, Urban and Regional Planning as Secretary.

Wike explained that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) always indicates the purpose for usage, which could be for commercial, residential or other uses, in line with the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan.

“Today you find out that all those provisions were being violated without prior approval from the government.

“You will see people with C of O, whose purpose is for residential, but turned to commercial. This, of course, is a violation of the certificate that was issued,” he said.

The minister explained that the committee would identify all those areas that were in violation of the use of the C of O given to residents, as the case may be.

He said that the area could be in the Central Business Area, Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, Wuse I, or Wuse II, as the case may be.

“Having identified them, you have to recommend to the government what appropriate steps to be taken in compliance with extant guidelines.

“This is very, very important to us. Are you going to say outright revocation for not complying with the provisions in the C of O or there would be a penalty if they asked for conversion and pay the appropriate fee?

“The committee has two weeks to deliver on the task and come up with a robust recommendations of what the government is to do.

“Like I said earlier, this job has to be done without outside or inside interference,” he said.

Wike said that the move was necessary for the public to know what the government was doing to address the anomalies in land use in th FCT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other members of the river park estate committee included Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Lands, Urban and Regional Planning and Deputy Director, Land.

Others are Director, Security Services Department, Director Development Control, and Director, AGIS.

For the committee on the review of land uses/purpose clauses of land and properties at locations overtaken by commercial and other activities, the members included Director, Land Administration and Director, Surveying and Mapping.

Others are Director, AGIS, and Director, Engineering Services.

Wike inaugurates committees on River Park Estate, land use abuse