Kaduna State Government has allocated 4,359 plots to businesses, institutions and individuals in recent years as part of its efforts to accelerated development in its Urban Renewal Programme.
The state has also issued 51,032 Certificates of Occupancy for new titles and recertification of previous titles, apart from selling 2,028 non-essential residential houses 80% of which were bought by the civil servants who were sitting tenants, based on their market value.
In a statement issued by Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, the state government denounced the attempt to smear all those who are being assigned plots under an accelerated development programme.
The statement said that certain persons were allocated plots for accelerated development between six and 12 months, constituting less than 1% of the persons who have been assigned plots in recent years.
The statement stated that KDSG is proud of the calibre of persons responding to its active canvassing of land applications, clarifying that allottees within the accelerated development category constitute less than 1% of all those who acquired land in Kaduna state.
‘’In addition, Malam Nasir El-Rufai specifically directed that KADGIS should allocate plots of land to as many government workers and citizens as demonstrate active interest by applying,’’ Adekeye added.
‘’This active canvassing of land applications is connected to a desire for accelerated development of allocated plots,’’ he said, adding that, ‘’the state is being actively positioned as a lower cost alternative to Abuja for active workers, and a cheaper retirement option for senior citizens.’’
According to him, plots have been revoked from persons who have held on to them for years without developing them.
‘’Many of these plots in prime areas are being reallocated to individuals and corporate bodies with a strict mandate to develop them within six months to one year,’’ he added.
The statement pointed out that ‘’plots in the Millennium City are also being actively allocated as part of the deliberate focus on fast-tracking the development of the Eastern Sector of Kaduna metropolis.’’
Adekeye further said that apart from sale of non essential houses, Kaduna State Government has also allocated plots of land to government workers and private citizens in its desire to accelerate the development.
The Special Adviser noted that the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service(KADGIS) ‘’ has issued 51,302 Certificates of Occupancy since 2017, for new allocations and the recertification of previous titles.’’
According to him, KADGIS has also allocated 4,359 plots in Kaduna to applicants, in a process that is open to all who apply and fulfill the conditions.
Adekeye recalled that ‘’as Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir El-Rufai allocated 27,000 plots to applicants, some of whom had waited for decades. He promoted the accelerated development programme which took land from speculators and allocated to those ready to develop them within set times. He supervised the sales of 30,000 government houses, enabling many federal civil servants to own houses.’’
‘’After his tenure as FCT Minister, there were attempts to question his powers as minister to allocate plots as lists, including any person with Rufai in their surnames, were circulated to smear him and his record in democratising access to plots of land and houses in Abuja.
The Special Adviser said that the ‘’Yar’Adua and Jonathan governments later used that as basis for criminal prosecution. That ended in emphatic acquittal by the courts which upheld the power of the Minister of the FCT to allocate and revoke plots of land.’’
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