Abia State commissioner for lands and housing, Chaka Chukwumerije, has said the administration is correcting errors in land transactions committed during previous administrations in the state.
Chukwumerije stated this while addressing journalists yesterday at the end of the grace window granted to land or property owners to rectify their title documents in Umuahia, the state capital.
The submission period was scheduled for June 3 to July 14 but was extended to August 30, “eventually and after listening to the generality of Abians.”
He said the purpose of the recertification exercise includes reviewing and updating land records and upgrading survey records from Nigeria/local origin to UTM.
He noted that others are updating payment of ground rents and taxes, revalidated allocations, and updating the state’s social security identification number.
Chukwumerije said that following the expiration of the period, any title document that was not submitted shall no longer be accepted within the ministry and her agencies.
He further noted, “Allocations within government layouts shall be withdrawn for default in terms and conditions of the offers, which includes non-development.
“To this end, the following layouts are immediately affected: Valley View Estates Phases 1 and 11, Public Servants’ (Cattle Lairage) Layout, Mgbarakuma, Mgbarakuma Mini Layout, and Mbaisii Layout.”
He said the state’s Estates and Development Agency, as a parastatal of the ministry, has been part of the exercise as regards her estates at Ohobo Afara, Ohokobe Afara Phases 1 and 11 ( Madonna and Ceremics)
According to the commissioner, the agency has suspended all allocations in Umuopara and Nkpa in Umuahia South and Bende local governments, respectively.
“A strong warning is hereby extended to persons encroaching into estates of the agency at Ogo-Nsukwe and Amibo Ubakala to desist forthwith or face the law. A strong note of caution is extended to anyone transacting in these lands.”
