Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have warned lands owners and proprietors of unfinished buildings within the capital city, Abuja to quickly develop and finish those plots within three (3) months or risk losing ownership of them. The warning, they say, was necessitated by the rise of squatters and shanties using unfinished apartments as temporary residence.
The directive was issued in a statement signed by the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Chief Felix Obuah, and made available to the media on Monday in Abuja. It read “The FCT Administration has noted with concern the rapid expansion of shanties and squatters within uncompleted buildings and undeveloped plots across the Federal Capital City.
“The Administration has also noted that these buildings and plots are being used as hideouts by men of questionable characters thereby posing a serious security challenge to the residents.
“In view of the foregoing, all owners of those abandoned and uncompleted buildings and undeveloped plots are hereby directed to immediately develop and secure the properties within three months from the date of this announcement.
“Failure to comply with this directive, the Administration may take appropriate action which shall include revocation of titles and demolition of such abandoned structures.”
Recall, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had issued an oral version over the weekend saying any person or institution seeking land allocation in the FCT must agree to develop the land within a given timeframe and also demonstrate their financial capacity to carry out such developmental activities before allocations are made.
“What we have found out is that most institutions apply for land, you give them land, 20 years, 15 years, no development and then people go and build shanties, which of course attracts criminals to stay and then it becomes a problem to us,” Wike said.
“When you begin to go there and say they should move, then people will come to say ‘oh, people are suffering, the economy is very hard, it’s where they are trying to find what to eat.’ It becomes another problem for us.
“Now, for us to give land to any agency, you have to have an agreement with the FCTA through the Land Department that you are going to build within a specific time,” he said.
