Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule says he denied himself sleep to sign 300 Certificates of Occupancy in one night because of his burning desire to open up the state for investments.
He said his administration met piles of already processed Certificates of Occupancy owned by investors who may be waiting for the documents to access facilities from financial institutions to commence operation.
He said there were also several applications by individual land owners who were seeking valid documents to commence development of their plots, adding that he had to act promptly to address the situation.
“That’s why I went through sleepless nights through the documents and signing them,” he stated, adding, “I remembered I signed over 300 certificates in one night.”
Also speaking on the development, the director general the State Geographic Information Service (NAGIS), Sonny Agassi, said the governor accelerated the processes leading to the provision of Certificates of Occupancy to land owners in comparison to his other predecessors in office.
He said the number of C-of Os signed by Governor Sule from the period he (Agassi) assumed office in 2019 to date is more than those endorsed by all his predecessors combined.
Mr Agassi said 8,893 C-of Os were signed by those who superintended over the affairs of the state from 1999 to date, adding that out of the number, Governor Sule endorsed 5,344 of the documents within a space of over four years.
According to data he made available to newsmen, the governor is followed by his immediate predecessor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura who signed 3,254 in his eight years tenure.
The data also indicated that the late former governor Aliyu Akwe Doma signed 24 of the documents within his four years as governor, while Abdullahi Adamu signed 254 C-of Os between 1999 and 2007 he was in office.
The information showed that the military administrators who governed the state from the time of its creation in 1996 to 1999 endorsed 153 documents to land owners in the state.
Mr Agassi said the governor’s record in the land sub-sector is unprecedented and underscored his commitment to creating a conducive business environment for investors to take advantage of the potential that abound in the state.
He explained that the C-of Os produced and issued by NAGIS were among the most secure in the country.
He said the certificates which are printed by the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company (NMPC), has many unique features which cannot be forged.
Mr Agassi stated that 40 percent of the certificates were issued to businesses operating in the state, noting that history would be kind to Governor Sule for opening the state to investors.
