By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has promised to help University of Abuja to recover its land from grabbers.
Director, department of Development Control, FCTA, Muktar Galadima gave the assurance during a meeting on Wednesday with the University’s management on the campus.
He said the case of encroachment on the school land as raised by the school authority would be looked into after consulting with the relevant stakeholders.
The director explained that prior to the removal of illegal structures, issues of resettlement and compensation of the indigenous communities would be taken into consideration, which he said was beyond the department.
Galadima said, “The Department will come up with an action plan to identify key issues that need attention. It will start with sensitization of the villagers, we will sit down with the relevant stakeholders to mark out time and date to remove the illegal structures.
“Demolition remains the last resort for resolution of land issues, but he said the FCT Administration will meet with the University management, village chiefs and the Area Councils Secretariat, Area Council chairmen and tell them the challenges and the intention” he said.
He said the University’s land issue has to be well looked into considering the size of the land and those occupying it.
His words:” The school land issue is a very typical one considering the size of the land and those occupying it, then the unseriousness of the institution. The level of development on the land is insignificant, these issues are beyond the development Control, it has to be handled by the FCT Administration”
However Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah urged the department of development Control to hesten up plans in addressing the cases of encroachment that brings about security threat and trading on the campus.
He said the school was finding it difficult to carry out some projects that would expand the school due to faceoff between the management and communities in the area.
