From Victor Osula, Abuja
In his first day in office as newly sworn-in Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike has threatened to demolish houses built on green areas or those that have distorted the Abuja Master Plan.
Addressing a press conference in his office on Monday, the minister said the FCT must be restored to its original master plan to make it a liveable city, adding that he would carry out his new order with no exemption of status or rank among Nigerians. He targets four offenders, namely those who have built on any unallocated plots or Green Areas marked for parks and sporting centres, debtors of ground rent and land speculators.
On the Master Plan:
“People who are distorting the master plan of Abuja and making it look like a refuse den would mean that the authorities will take another look at waste management. Then those who are distorting the master plan by building houses where they are not supposed to build, too bad. The buildings will go down. Be you a Minister or an Ambassador. He targets three offenders, namely
On Green Areas:
“For those who have taken over the green areas to build either restaurants or other structures, we must take back our land, sorry. If you hate green, then you must hate yourselves. If your father has done that, or your mother has done that, sorry there is nothing I can do. These buildings must go down.”
Land Speculators:
” I will hold a meeting with the Directors tomorrow on land speculators. The period of land racketeering is over. Those that the government gave Certificate of Occupancy, Cof O, and have refused to develop their lands bought at N200,000 but instead hawking them for N2 billion to N3 billion, will have to forfeit the land to the government. We will take back our land. and give it to those who want to develop. The new owners must sign an agreement on the time they will develop or we will take the land back.”
Ground Rent:
“Those who have refused to pay ground rent which is one of the ways FCT generates revenue may have to face revocation of their land. As a tenant, you are supposed to pay because Abuja needs money. If you have not paid, as a bank, big or small man, sorry, I will revoke the land.”
