The Federal Capital Territory FCT Administration has vowed to punish land grabbers in the territory, especially those who encroached on the parcel of land allocated to the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board MPWB in Gwagwalada Area Council. Minister of State in the FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu who made the pledge when the Director, Malam Mohammed Nasiru Danmallam and other management staff of the Board took her round the disputed areas, also described the encroachment as an act lawlessness that should not go unpunished. Aliyu revealed that the essence of citing the pilgrims board in Gwagwalada was to decongest the city centre, in order to bring development to the satellite towns, and to also encourage other activities in rural communities as enshrined in the Abuja Master Plan. “When did this place become residential?
All these property must be pulled down and that is the truth. This is the peak of lawlessness and it is not acceptable. “This property is for the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and the Hajj Camp, hopefully the 2020 hajj operations will take place here. This is disheartening.
WHO, ACDC, partners ramp up support for Nigeria “But unfortunately, this might have been done on the assumption that the MPWB is already in the town and will not be using here again. However, this is grossly unacceptable, because the essence of putting the Pilgrims Board here was also to decongest the city centre, in order to bring development to the satellite towns, and to also encourage other activities here. And this was intended to maintain the Abuja Master Plan of the Federal Capital Territory. So, whatever encroachment we have here will be taken out. This is very clear. It is unfortunate that this has happened. But these culprits must be brought to book”, Aliyu vowed. Also speaking on the fate of some economic trees planted by some indigenous people, the minister stated that no compensation will be paid by removing those trees, stressing that such people will be made to pay for their lawlessness. According to her, “They are causing us so much to uproot or remove all these nonsense they did here, so there is nothing like compensation. In fact, with whose permit did they go upon the land to plant? It is unacceptable, and this lawlessness must just stop in the Federal Capital Territory.
“Everybody sees any land, and just moves in to construct or plant something, and the next thing they are asking for is compensation. That has become the order of the day, and a means of livelihood. In fact, they should be made to pay for damages. With this, I think lawlessness will stop in FCT. Land belongs to federal government and it belongs also to the FCT Administration, and you must keep off”, she warned.
SOURCES: VANGUARD NEWSPAPER
