Wike rejects customs’ request to restore revoked land in Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has turned down the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) request for a review of the land that the FCT Administration (FCTA) cancelled.
On Thursday, the acting comptroller-general, Adewale Adeniyi, led a delegation of customs officers to visit the minister in Abuja, during which the minister announced the rejection.
In September, the FCT minister said in national newspapers that the ministry will revoke the certificates of occupancy for 165 plots in total. Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary of the FCT, signed the announcement.
Notable Nigerians were among those impacted, including the customs department, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential contender, Liyel Imoke, a former Cross River State governor, and 39 other people.
The properties are partially situated at Asokoro, Idu, Katampe, Utako, Jabi, Wuye, Wuse II, Gudu, and Maitama, among other highbrow neighbourhoods and sertalite towns in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the letter, Mr. Wike revoked the landowners’ rights since it was not developed and in violation of Section 28(5)(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act 1978.
Mr. Adeniyi sought land to construct elementary and secondary schools for the children of the more than 2,000 customs officers living in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in an effort to appeal the ministry’s order.
Mr. Wike bemoaned the way government agencies were given land in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but declined to develop it, saying FCTA would help the service to meet its goals.
The minister gave the customs chief assurance that the land for school development would be taken into consideration, but only if the organisation promised to develop the land within a certain time frame.
The minister threatened to revoke the land if people didn’t comply.
“Be rest assured that I am going to approve the land for the school. You bring the application; I will sign it and give it to the director of lands to give the land that you can use,” Mr Wike said.
