Members of Zandan Pazeri Property Owners’ Association has taken the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed to court over plans by the Department of Development Control to commence demolition exercise in the area.
Chairman of the land owners association, Elder Friday Ugoala, told Abuja Review that they observed encroachment by some estate developers into Zauda Layout more than a year ago and they wrote series of letters to the FCT Director of Urban and Regional Planning, which they followed up with reminder letters, detailing their observations over the encroachment into the layout.
Ugoala further explained that in the director’s reply, it was stated that Dei-dei districts, particularly Zauda, Filindabo and other layouts have been superimposed to Phase IV of the Federal Capital City (FCC).
According to him, their investigation confirmed that Zauda, Saburi, Filindabo, Block Industry, Building Material and Timber Market done by taskforce, are not part of the Federal Capital City Phase IV, as the director wanted them to believe.
“We have authority to that and the authority that equally gave approval to do it, and they confirmed that their work was professionally done, without encroaching to any structure in existence. Our files are in AGIS, these plots were allocated to us in 1998 and files were opened.
“During el-Rufai administration, he called for regularisation and our members started afresh and paid the money for regularisation and new files were opened. All our allocation papers have two references; reference for old files and new files. Now, from what we have gathered from the authority, it implies that they are about to alter the master plan,” Ugoala said.
Most communities in the FCT have instituted cases against Senator Mohammed, because since assumption of office as the FCT Minister, almost all the communities in the capital city have dragged his administration to court as a result of what they described as anti-people land policy, which has led to so many FCT natives and residents displaced unwillingly from communities in which they have spent the entire parts of their lives.
Some of the communities that have dragged the minister to court for either demolition of their houses or threat of forceful displacement from their ancestral lands are Kpaduma, Mpape, Gosa, Dutse, Gbebudna and Jidna communities, among others.
The case which is currently under the Justice Banjoko of Court 11, Gudu District in Abuja, saw Barrister Victor Umah, Counsel to Zaudan Pazeri Property Association being urged by the Presiding Judge to ensure that all necessary documentations are put in place with the evidences, so as to avoid delay in the case, when it fully commences.
Ugoala further said they are praying the court to stop the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from carrying out the planned demolition as well as return their properties to them, stressing that the plots in question were allocated to the members of the association by the FCDA between 1988 and 1989, saying that all documents and money paid in respect of the property were well receipted.
“Since the time of el-Rufai, the file for regularisation has been with the heads in the FCDA. So, government cannot claim not to be aware of the fact that the place is not an empty place. Unfortunately, the minister decided to take over the place, whereas, our members have paid all the necessary levies to the government during the el-Rufai administration and we have equally paid for the regularisation and new files were opened for us,” he said.
Ugoala also pleaded that the court which adjourned the case to March 30, for hearing, should order the authority of FCDA to accelerate the processing of their files, which he said has been dumped over the years by subsequent administrations.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Victor Umah, who faulted the moves by the FCTA to forcibly displace the original owners of the concerned plots of land, also told newsmen that if truly the land belonged to the Federal Government, there are laid down procedures which they must follow before taking over such property which the people have occupied over a very long period of time.
His words: “The case was slated for motion, but originally would have proceeded for hearing like the Judge rightfully hinted. But there were some very sensitive issues why the FCTA raised, because we are standing on the ground that there were no revocations of the property owned by the plaintiffs, which are the land owners. But suddenly, they discovered outright development by unknown persons, who must be agents of the FCDA.
“That is why we are saying that they cannot come into a land and start altering it. If truly the land belongs to the Federal Government and they want to take over them, there are laid down procedures that must be followed, before they can take over the land. Not just coming into the land by virtue of their being an authority. We are saying ‘no’ to it. That is why we are in court for a declaration to prevent them from what could be described as injustice.
“The plaintiffs regularised their papers as at when due. They have evidences to show that the regularisations were done at the appropriate time they were asked to do it. Documents were offered to them as proof to the fact that the necessary things were done and all the evidences are genuine.”
According to findings, other communities which are still under the demolition list from the Bala Mohammed-led administration are Idu-Karmo, Dape, Tasha, Gwagwa, Saburi, Zauda, Jahi, Gishiri, Mabushi, Kuchigoro, Chika, Aleita, Piwoyi, Lugbe, Pyakassa, Tudun Wada, Dei-Dei and Guzap.
