By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

In order to address various land use violations and other issues in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike at the weekend inaugurated two significant ad-hoc committees with a two-week timeframe to review the issues and submit recommendations.

The committees include: Review of controversies surrounding River Park Estate and the other on the review of Land use/purpose clauses of land and properties at locations overtaken by commercial and other activities, were also charged to discharge their duties with utmost professionalism. Inaugurating the committees, Wike emphasized their significance in streamlining the FCT Administration’s services and restoring order to the city’s development, stressing that their work must be impartial and free from any external or internal influence.Explaining the terms of reference of the Committee on the River Park Estate, which is chaired by the General Counsel/Secretary of the Legal Services Secretariat, Salman Dako, the Minister said the Committee will review the issues surrounding the estate and investigate reported violations of the agreements made between the FCT Administration and the developers of the mass housing project.The Minister said, “The first Committee has to do with the issues that cropped up in the River Park Estate. Sometimes, the government will give out letters of intent to those that will say they want to develop mass housing and the government will always have an agreement or what you may call Memorandum of Understanding. We find out in most cases that these agreements are being violated. So, this Committee is to look into the issues that have to do with River Park Estate and advise the government on the necessary steps to take in order to correct some of these anomalies.“The assignment must be concluded in two weeks. There will be no extension of time. So, if it requires you to sit from morning till night, may it be so. We are not going to delay.“And let me warn you that it must be done professionally. I don’t want to hear of any issue of influence from outside. If I hear that somebody has interest, be it from outside or from the FCTA, particularly AGIS and Land Administration Department, you know the consequences of it. So, it must be done strictly and anywhere you require assistance, let me know. If there is any Department that is trying to obstruct you from getting information, let me know in time”, Wike stressed.Regarding the second committee on Land Uses/Purpose Clauses of Land properties at Locations overtaken by commercial and other activities, headed by the Director of Development Control, Town planner Mukhtar Galadima, the FCT Minister disclosed that it will focus on widespread land use violations in the FCT.The committee, he stated, will identify properties where the original purpose outlined in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), such as residential use, has been illegally converted to commercial activities and vice versa, without government approval.The Minister highlighted that these violations have deviated from the Abuja master plan, stressing that the committee’s recommendations will help the government determine appropriate actions, which could range from outright revocation of land titles to levying penalties and charging for formal land use conversion.In addition to inaugurating the committees, Barr. Wike also directed the heads of relevant departments, including Lands, AGIS, Development Control, and Urban and Regional Planning, to immediately provide a comprehensive list of all defaulters on ground rent payments, including those from 2024 and 2025, for enforcement.The Minister who underscored the urgency of the action, explained that generating revenue from outstanding ground rent was vital to the funding of critical infrastructure projects in the 2025 budget, which he revealed has been assented to by President Bola Tinubu.