Wike Seeks Review Of FCT Land Swap Policy, Probes Federal Gov’t House Sales

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the Task Force On Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-Os) to review the Abuja Land Swap System, as well as investigate the sale of federal government’s houses in the FCT.

The minister had a week ago inaugurated a task force on issuance of certificates of occupancy to housing estates in Abuja, which he directed that the panel should complete its assignment in one month.

Wike, on Tuesday, also empowered the committee to carry out an investigation of the land swap initiative, and consequently extended the one-month earlier given to it to two months considering the additional task given to the team.

He mandated the committee to ascertain the situation of federal government’s houses in the Territory and bring forward the true position of things.

“We want to get details of the land swap system and the sale of federal government houses in the Federal Capital Territory.

“There are so many complaints that some houses are abandoned and some are sold, let us know the houses that were sold. Where are the documentations? Let them show us the receipt of payments.

“Not only the federal government houses but also the houses built and abandoned in the city. With the additional responsibility, the task force will now last for two months instead of the one month earlier given,” the Minister said.

The Abuja land swap initiative started by the FCT Administration in 2013, is a system whereby the government gives a green field to developers for real estate development. The developers, in turn, provide specified infrastructure on the land.