Niger Govt Revokes 241 C of O of Land at Zuma Rock Area
The Niger State Government today revoked all Certificates
of Occupancy (C of O) of lands around the Zuma Rocka ar in Tafa Local Government
Area of the state.
The state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello,
approved the revocation by exercising the powers conferred on him by section
28, sub section 2 (b) of the state 1978 land use act.
The revocation of the land titles also followed a
memorandum forwarded to the governor by the state Commissioner for Lands and
Housing, Alhaji Haliru Zakari Jikantoro, on March 14 this year.
A statement
by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, which
confirmed the revocation of the titles said the governor’s action was also
based on the ‘strategic location of the area and the need to preserve the
natural endowment for collective benefits and in the overriding public interest.
The statement directed all beneficiaries of land in
the area to return the ‘grant or C of O in their possession to the state government
immediately and also settle the amount outstanding against them within three
months from the date of the revocation.
Vatsa however, stated that beneficiaries with proof
of un-exhausted improvement on their revoked plots may be entitled to
compensation or alternative allocation of plot where appropriate.
Meanwhile, the commissioner has warned those
engaged in commercial activities such as local crushers and quarrying of
granite behind the famous Zuma Rock to stop forthwith or face the wrath of the
law, pointing out that such parcels of land belong to his ministry.
A total of 241 plots of land with more than half
belonging to the Abuja-based Aso Savings and loans scheme are affected by the
revocation order.
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