…mandate relevant committees to ensure compliance, report back within 4 weeks
By Paul Effiong, Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate all land allocations in the name of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT from January to August 2023 when the minister office was vacant,
The House equally agreed that some lands which are subject to litigation or multiple allocations, should be identified and their allocation withdrawn by the Minister pending the resolution of the matter.
These were some resolutions adopted by the House following a motion of urgent national importance moved during plenary yesterday by Hon Gaza Jonathan Gbewfi
The Motion entitled: Urgent Need To Investigate the Alleged Fradulent Allocation of Tittle Documents To Some Real Estate Developers Before the Appointment of The current Minister Of FCT, Abuja.
Hon Gbewfi is a member Representing Karu, Keffi and Kokona Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State in the House as well as the Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals.
Speaking while presenting his lead debate, Hon Gbewfi Noted that by the virtue of Section 297 of the Constitution, the ownership of all lands in the FCT is vested in the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He further revealed that that Section 302 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for among others, that the President may, in
the exercise of the powers conferred upon him by Section 147 of the Constitution, appoint for the FCT Minister who shall exercise powers and perform such functions as may be delegated to him by the President, from time to time.
The lawmakers explained that the House is aware that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in on Monday 29th May 2023, marking the start of the Four-year term as President and Kashim Shettima as Vice President.
The lawmaker equally recalled that the current Minister of FCT, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike assumed office as the FCT Minister after his appointment on the 21 August 2023:
Meanwhile the Green Chambers had informed that in the period between 29th May 2023-21 st August 2023, several title documents on land in the FCT were issued to some real estate developers in a highly suspicious manner:
They expressed concerns on whether or not the Director of Lands or any official of the FCDA who issued R of O’s, purportedly in the name of the Minister of FCT. at the period when the office of the Minister was vacant, have the legal right or authority to do so:
They were concerned that some of the lands affected were subject to litigations which were yet to be resolved at various courts.
The House, however expressed dissturbed that some of the beneficiaries of these alleged fraudulent allocations are already using them to forcibly grab disputed land which is a recipe for conflicts
The Green Chamber conclusively agreed that if the title document of any land is fraudulently issued or procured, whatever is built on it should not stand in the interest of the public.
