The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, unveiled a Task Force on Tuesday that will oversee the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for mass housing developments and the recovery of land use contravention fees in the FCT.
Chaired by Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Lands and Urban and Regional Planning, Estate Surveyor Michael O. Chinda, the Task Force has been given one month to complete its assignment, with the Executive Secretary of the FCDA serving as its Secretary.
In line with the directive of the FCT Minister, the main objective of establishing the Task Force is to ensure that each house in the Mass Housing Estates within the FCT is granted a Certificate of Occupancy, which will be paid for by the allottees.
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Additionally, the Task Force has been tasked with ensuring that allottees who have violated land use regulations in the FCT pay penalties as a deterrent. Barrister Wike expressed concern over the conversion of many residential allocations to commercial purposes, emphasizing the need for controlled development in accordance with the law.
The FCT Minister emphasized, “The purpose of setting up the Task Force is to make sure that all Mass Housing units have their Certificates of Occupancy, which they must pay for. Also, penalties must be imposed on those who have contravened land use regulations. To discourage these violations, severe penalties must be implemented.”
Furthermore, the FCT Minister instructed the Task Force to facilitate the issuance of land documents to land allottees in the Area Councils who currently lack Certificates of Occupancy for their plots. He also directed the Committee to publish the required fees for obtaining these documents.
