HDAN to FCT Minister: declare a state of emergency against land extortion

DISTURBED by the activities of land grabbing and speculators in Nigeria’s capital, the Housing Development Advocacy Network, a non-governmental organization, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCT) to declare a state of emergency against land extortion in the FCT .

The executive director of the group, Mr. Festus Adebayo, who made this call noted that land extortion is on the rise in the FCT, adding that it had become necessary to raise the alarm to those in charge about the group. administration to avoid the loss of investment in the country’s capital.

In a statement to the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos, Adebayo explained that while there have been many fake and political developers and land racketeers, there are also many real developers who want to invest in the FCT but risk becoming land racketeers.

He cited the one-sided FCT master plan and lack of detail on existing approved layout information as part of the challenges.

Driving the point home, he said, “The FCT master plan is messed up, it requires surgical intervention and the FCT minister must declare a state of emergency on the FCT urban planning system.

“So much damage has been done. The system no longer aligns with those who saw the FCT’s vision and gave the master plan.

“Firstly, the biggest problem with FCT’s scheduling is that there is no detailed information about existing approved layouts, so false layouts overlap with them. This information, if made public, could enable investors to know the correct information that will save them from falling victim to land extortionists.”

“The unfortunate situation is when some bad eggs in the government support the affairs of those who engage in extortion by destroying the FCT master plan for selfish reasons,” he said.

Today, he claimed that 70 percent of cases in FCT courts are country-related. This scenario, he said, has put the real estate sector in the country’s capital at risk.

Adebayo said HDAN would not fold its arms and let some criminals destroy the real estate industry.

Where there is insufficient information on existing grading, he believes the public will continue to be victims of harsh practices leading to continued demolition of homes in some areas.

He called on the government to investigate the areas where the FCT’s planning system has been abused.

Adebayo explained that even with the issuance of building plan approvals for land parcels being suspended from the Area Council, people are still building, mostly substandard buildings, and the government is losing revenue.

“Nearly 70 percent of the plots of the municipal councils do not have a building plan. A sample survey can be done to verify this,” he said.

Before conducting a demolition exercise, Adebayo said there must be an order from the FCT’s Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal.

In his view, most of the estates resulting from land extortion lacked the basic amenities needed for decent shelter.

Adebayo wants the administration to create a platform to educate people on what to know and what to ask when they want to buy real estate in the FCT.

“We are asking the FCT to create a new department, the Urban Renewal Department, which will be saddled with the responsibility of redevelopment and upgrading. It will also identify areas of action and contain standards for sustainable action.

Stressing that the minister must declare a state of emergency before it is too late, the HDAN boss said: “We also call on the directors of Development Control, Urban and Regional Planning, Lands and AGIS to work together to save urban planning system of the FCT that extortionists have destroyed.”

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