From Francis Nansak,Lafia
The NasarawaState Commissioner of Lands and Urban Development, Professor Salihu Ahmad Aligaza has refuted the allegation of conceding Masaka market to any private individual.
Professor Ahmad while reacting to the allegation in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in his office in Lafia on Tuesday said the allegation was not true, unfounded and baseless and lacking evidence.
He said the ministry of lands and urban development is not aware of the sale of Masaka market to Dangote as alleged, adding that the responsibility of the ministry as clearly known to everyone in the state ,has no pact with the sales of markets.
According to him, there are far reaching progress made by the Lands ministry, which at the moment is working towards achieving for the purposes of generating the needed revenue that can uplift the living standard of the people of the state.
“We are not aware like I earlier said, the sale of Masaka market to Dangote is not in our schedule of duty but that is a responsibility of the Ministry of Trade and Investment, if at all the market was sold as alleged.
” I want to state here that the ministry is not in any position of doing that and has no business in sealing of any market,except in situations where certain development goes against our development plans ,like the traffic gridlock often witness on every Fridays,” he added.
The commissioner,however pointed out that the ministry of lands has intensified efforts towards the completion of lands acquired by the previous administration for the purposed of development.
He said the current administration of Governor AbdullahiSule is working round the clock to complete the construction of the Peninsula, Mararaba Orange market site and services, as well as that of Keffi.
” At the moment work is ongoing on the sites like roads construction ,building of school and other basic infrastructure, and when that is completed,we will give out allocations to investors to build their houses and the state will earn from the allocations which will boost the internally generated revenue of the state,” he said.
