By Tanimu Muhammad
Abuja
The FCT administration is worried about land rackateering in the FCT and has clarified and warned against it.
Acting Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Council (AMMC), Abdulhamid Sulaiman who made this disclosure while briefing some journalists over the weekend, in his Wuse Zone 6 office warned the public not to fall victim of such criminal activities but always ensure they get any land allocation through the right channels.
“The FCT Administration is already aware that some unscrupulous elements, in connivance with some officials, are reportedly issuing letters of allocation in this respect.
“And anybody caught dealing on these illegal allocations will not only be dealt with in the Civil Service way, but will also be prosecuted”, Suleiman said.
The Co-ordinator specifically stated that only the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has the power to allocate any land in the FCT, be it open spaces, green areas or recreational parks.
He added that the exclusive powers to allocate land in the nation’s capital were delegated to the Minister by President and Commander-in-Chief, as the Governor-General of FCT.
Suleiman who further disclosed that there was an existing embargo on land allocation for green areas, recreational parks and open spaces in the FCT, affirmed that any allocation or transaction with respect to these land purposes while the embargo subsists is “null and void.”
He said: “So any transaction outside the Minister’s approval is deemed illegal and illegitimate and will be prosecuted and the culprit punished accordingly.
“In addition to that, I also want to draw the attention of the public to strict adherence to development control guidelines because the FCT is a planned city, based on the Abuja Master Plan and all the regulations must be followed in order to avoid distortion that could risk destruction of lives and property.
“Therefore, those willing to develop their legitimately and legally allocated land should approach the Development Control department for guidance and proper approval before they can commence development”, he stated.
The AMMC boss also advised the public to desist from and avoid construction of structures along river courses and flood plains to mitigate devastating effects of flood in parts of the FCT, even as he tasked them to own the huge existing infrastructure and report any incidence of vandalism to appropriate authorities.