By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr.
Nysome Wike has put land grabbers on edge as he slammed a new land reform to end land racketeering in the nation’s capital.
The reforms are expected to boost government revenue, end racketeering, and enhance development in the FCT.
The Minister who spoke through FCDA Director of Lands Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, SSA to the Minister and Lere Olayinka Senior Special Assistant Public Communications & Social Media at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday said that the new Land Reform is aimed at sanitizing land administration in the Capital Territory.
Accordingly, the new land policies are expected to take effect from April, will regularize Area Council land allocations, issue titles to Mass Housing residents, and enforce strict timelines for land development.
Meanwhile, inclusive in the reform is the enforcement of a 21-day window for land allottees to accept and pay for Rights of Occupancy, and failure to adhere to this will render the offer invalid.
Futhermore, allottees are advised to develop their plots within two years; a way to discourage land speculation and hoarding.
“All land documents issued by Area Councils will now be subjected to statutory regularization. Out of over 261,000 submissions received since 2006, only a little over 2,000 have been fully processed. Officials say the backlog will now be cleared with renewed urgency.”
The reform has given relief to residents in Mass Housing Estates who have waited decades for formal titles, relief may finally be in sight.
With the new land reform, only two out of 445 developers met initial conditions.
FCDA officials have urged all land title owners to adhere to implementation, warning that failure to comply with the new deadlines will attract serious consequences
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