Modibbo Returns 2000 Revoked Plots

Hi Folks,

I thought the charade at the weekend at Eagle's square called election was enough to make me upset for a week but reading this that Modibbo has returned 2000 revoked plots makes me angry. check out the list of those whose land have been returned to them and then you begin to ask questions.
I hope this guy knows his brief afterall both men (Modibbo and El-Rufai) are from the same party (People Deceive People), is this not suppose to be continous government? El-Rufai is not my favourite person for the single reason that he did not provide safety nets for the displaced people during his demolision exercise but I think some of his policies has restored sanity to Abuja masterplan.
I hope this is not just to score cheap points and i hope another minister will not revoked Modibbo's policies when he is gone? Why is it so difficult to have continuity in government? Any wonder why we are the way we are? God help us!


Modibbo Returns 2000 Revoked Plots
•Obasanjo’s son, Mantu, Aminu affected
From Damilola Oyedele in Abuja, 03.10.2008

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, yesterday reversed the revocation of 2,034 plots of land, by his predecessor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, in the FCT.
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's son, Olumuyiwa; Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Jibril Aminu and former deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, were among the individuals affected by the reversal.
El-Rufai had cited non-development and non-recertification as reasons for the revocation.
Modibbo also assured those sacked during the last down sizing undertaken by his predecessor that the exercise would be reviewed.
According to a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Commun-ications, Diran Onifade, the minister said the conditions for the reinstatement of the land, which revocation were done in three phases between 2004 and 2007, are subject to compliance with the development control guidelines and notices.
According to the minister, where new allottees had not made meaningful improvement on the plots, titles would be withdrawn and reinstated to the old allottees, while the new allottees might be considered for alternative plots when available.
The land to be restored, the minister said, included those that were seized for non-development in districts without infrastructure; those in districts without infrastructure that were revoked on the grounds of non-recertification; and those reallocated without records of revocation of existing titles.
However, the minister said revocation stood where new allottees had appreciable development on the plots and the previous allottees might be considered for alternative plots when available.
He said all allottees whose land were reinstated would be requested to recertify their titles and pay a revised fee of N150,000.
Those whose lands have been ordered returned include former FCT ministers, Maj. Gens. J. T. Useni and M. T. Kontagora; Director-General of Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Mrs. Irene Chigbue; Wakili Adamawa, Hassan Adamu; Maj. Gen Lawrence Onoja; former Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Funso Kupolokun; Lt. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro and Prof. Mary Lar, wife of elder stateman, Chief Solomon Lar.
Also on the list are former minister of aviation, Dr. Kema Chikwe; Prof Ango Abdullahi; Hon. Justice Umar Kalgo; Hon. Justice Mohammed Dahiru Sale; Hon. Justice Uwaifo; late comptroller general of Immigration, Lady Uzo Nwizu; late governor of Benue State, Rev. Father Moses Adasu; Peter Eloka Okocha; late Maj. Gen. Joe Garba (rtd) and Prof. Giwa Osagie Osato.
Organisations and institutions that had their land returned by Modibbo include the Federal High Court, Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST), Shell Petroleum Ltd., Nigeria Ports Authority, National Judicial Institute, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Kebbi and Kogi States, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and FCT Chief Judge residence.
Others are the Surveyors Registration Council of Nigeria (SURCON), Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Council for Registration Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Office of the Defence Adviser, Ghana High Commission, Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) and the Council for the Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Also, holders of 131 plots of land in the FCT were asked to submit their land documents to the Abuja Geographical Information Systems (AGIS) within two weeks effective from today for revalidation and authentication.
THISDAY gathered that the FCT minister took the decision to return the revoked plots of land to their previous owners after being convinced that the laws concerning the revocation of land is clear and non recertification of land does not provide any grounds for land revocation.
Moreover, the FCT minister, it was gathered, decided to restore the titles as the administration does not want to encourage development on areas where infrastructure has not been provided.
Onifade told THISDAY in telephone interview that the restoration of the revoked plots of land was also an indication of the FCT administration's adherence to the rule of law.
"Why do you punish someone for not developing where you have not provided infrastructure?" he quoted the minister as having said.
In a recent interview with THISDAY, Modibbo disclosed that his administration inherited 750 court cases over land issues and that he had taken steps to have some of them settled out of court.
He also approached the FCT judiciary to set up special courts to handle such cases with dispatch.
Also, the FCT minister has set up a committee to review the last retrenchment exercise carried out in the FCT.
While inaugurating the committee, Modibbo enjoined members to assess the appeals and complaints so as to ensure that justice was done, especially in line with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's policy of due process and rule of law.
"As a government, we are concerned and will endeavour to ensure justice is done to all cadres of civil servants affected by the exercise. Government is all about the people and therefore ours will look into the merits of such complaints and take informed rightful decisions in the interest of the nation by weighting their justifications and implications.
"The review exercise is aimed at allowing true reconciliation that will naturally increase full participation of all manners of people in the government of President Yar'Adua as well as restoring confidence in governance in general," he said.