…says land grabbing won’t be tolerated
By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reclaimed over 7,000 hectares of land from the University of Abuja, following what FCT Minister Nyesom Wike described as illegal encroachment and unauthorised fencing activities in Giri District.
Wike, who was speaking at the commissioning of the newly constructed access roads into Giri District on Monday, accused the university of unilaterally grabbing 11,000 hectares without valid documentation, saying the administration would no longer tolerate such.
The minister who disclosed that the institution had gone ahead to fence off the vast portions of government land without approval, directed that only 4,000 hectares be carved out for the university.
“The University on their own grabbed 11,000 hectares. I said that will not happen. No document, nothing. You see them fencing everywhere, and before you know it, they would have gone to sell our land.
“So I’ve told the Director of Lands and the other relevant agencies to carve out 4,000 hectares and give to the University. The other ones would be reallocated because we are going to provide the roads here, and that is the true situation. We cannot allow people. You just wake up in the morning, all you see is fencing all over, no document, nothing. That is not the way we are supposed to work.”
The land recovery came as FCTA commissioned a 3 kilometres
access roads into Giri District with the aim of further opening up the district.
The FCT Minister in his remarks at the event said the district would soon be transformed into an institutional hub, especially as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, set to commence immediate development of its permanent academy in the area.
“EFCC will be the first beneficiary, like the chairman said, they will start the academy immediately. And when this comes, you see that other people will also move in and develop their own area.”
He assured that basic infrastructure would be extended into the district to attract investment and encourage landowners to develop their plots.
“Most of the problem we’re having here is that sometimes when you allocate land, there are no facilities, no infrastructure, and people are not encouraged. So we’ll do everything we can to see that basic infrastructure is being provided,” he said.
He said the road project was accelerated to mark President Bola Tinubu’s one-year anniversary, noting that the project contractor had shown its capacity with previous jobs in Abuja.
“What I saw there was something else, and the internal roads they did. So I was convinced that, well, I think they can also do roads. So when we agreed, and I said, can you finish this road so that we include it in the ceremony of Mr. President’s second anniversary, they said yes and they did a quality job and finished it on time.”
President Tinubu, represented by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, commended Wike’s efforts, describing the new roads as a “statement of intent” that would connect neglected communities to national prosperity.
“The roads we commission here today in Giri District are more than access ways. They are bridges of inclusion, signals of recognition, instruments of national unity. They remind us that development must reach the outskirts just as it touches the surface.
“You have not only embraced the visions of my Administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, you have localised it, made it meaningful, and made it real.”
To the residents of Giri, tge President prayed that “I say may these roads lead you to greater opportunities. May they carry your children to school, farmers to markets, families to healthcare, and dreams to reality.”
Also speaking at the event, the Secretary to the Commission, representing EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, described the newly completed access road as a game-changer for the Commission’s permanent academy project, which had stalled due to lack of access.
“Upon my assumption of office as Executive Chairman, I prioritized the development of these sites. However, the major challenge that confronted us was to assess the site. We were actually at a loss on how to navigate this challenge until the Honorable Minister of FCT, the man called Mr. Project, came to our rescue. He not only promised to construct the road, he delivered the road in record time.
“With this infrastructure, the development of this academy can now proceed. It will be a center of excellence in financial crimes enforcement, training and research.”
He added that, “This road will not only provide vital access to the EFCC Academy, it will contribute to the training of officers who will sustain the momentum of fight against corruption in Nigeria and boost the economic and social activities in this corridor. Once again, congratulations to all Nigerians whose lives will be impacted by this road.”
On her part, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu has continued to shape the transformation of the nation’s capital.
“This project is yet another shining example of his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, connectivity, and inclusive growth,” she affirmed.
While commending the visionary and dynamic leadership of the FCT Minister for accelerating development across the territory, Mahmoud stressed that the road is part of a broader initiative to open up underserved communities and stimulate economic activities within the area councils.
