Gombe state government has announced the suspension of erection of new buildings in Gombe New Government Reservation Area (GRA) to halt the creation of unplanned neighbourhood in the zone.Dr Manasseh Jatau, the Deputy Governor and Chairman, Task Force on State Capital Development Zone , stated this on Tuesday in Gombe, while speaking to newsmen.Jatau, who spoke through Mr Julius Ishaya, Gombe state Commissioner for Information after their meeting with residents of the area, said the move became necessary to ensure that the zone did not suffer the handicaps of an unplanned area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Taskforce on State Capital Development Zone was inaugurated to guide, direct and control physical development within the zone, as well as monitor and ensure compliance with its development guidelines.Jatau said that the area was acquired by individuals with customary title deeds who went on to start erecting buildings when the area had not been laid out by government for proper development.The chairman said that following the new policy for the special development zone, the Taskforce is in the process of integrating and incorporating the customary title deeds ownership into requirements for government layouts.“
The area is now in the centre of the city, hence the need to have layouts and that begins with taking census of the structures in the areaI; all forms of new construction should be suspended immediately,” he said.
He called on the residents of the area, not to panic as the government was not there to take anybody’s land, but to add value to what they had, through giving them the necessary requirements layouts should have.
He said the layouts were important because they gave residents access to roads and other social amenities, and also granted residents new titles deeds that would serve as collaterals in future. Shuaibu Gidado , who represented the residents, said the community had agreed to the demand that they should stop constructions pending the time government would plan and mark out the area.He said the directive was appropriate and aimed at avoiding a situation where there would be no proper layout when street were to be constructed.. (NAN)
