The FCT Minister, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has inaugurated two ad-hoc committees to review land use violations and other land-related issues in the Federal Capital Territory. The committees have been given a two-week timeframe to review the issues and submit recommendations.
The first committee, chaired by the General Counsel/Secretary of the Legal Services Secretariat, Barrister Salman Dako, will review the issues surrounding the River Park Estate and investigate reported violations of the agreements made between the FCT Administration and the developers of the mass housing project.
“The first Committee has to do with the issues that cropped up in the River Park Estate. Sometimes, government will give out letters of intent to those that will say they want to develop mass housing and government will always have an agreement or what you may call Memorandum of Understanding. We find out in most cases that these agreements are being violated,” the Minister explained.
The second committee, headed by the Director of Development Control, Town planner Mukhtar Galadima, will focus on widespread land use violations in the FCT. The committee will identify properties where the original purpose outlined in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) has been illegally converted to commercial activities and vice versa, without government approval.
“If You have a C of O that its purpose is for residential, but go there today, it’s turned to commercial and that of course is in violation of the certificate that was issued to you, this Committee is to identify all those areas that are in violation of the use of the Certificate of Occupancy as given to residents…and recommend to government what appropriate step to be taken,” the Minister stated.
In addition to inaugurating the committees, the Minister also directed the heads of relevant departments to immediately provide a comprehensive list of all defaulters on ground rent payments, including those from 2024 and 2025, for enforcement.
“The 2025 budget of the FCT, which has been assented to by Mr. President, has been submitted to us without funds. There is no way you can embark on projects that will have positive impacts on the lives of our people without funds,” the Minister explained.
The Minister emphasized that the committees’ work must be impartial and free from any external or internal influence, and that the recommendations will help the government determine appropriate actions to take.
“We are not going to delay. If it requires you to sit from morning till night, may it be so. And let me warn that it must be done professionally. I don’t want to hear of any issue of influence from outside,” the Minister stressed.