• As Plateau seeks new land administration process
The Borno State Government has earmarked N1 billion for the payments of compensations for the construction of seven roads projects in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere council.
The compensations cover the pulling down of houses and other structures that could obstruct construction of dual carriage roads and bridges.
Announcing the approved compensations in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary, Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bababe, said a panel has been set up to value all the affected property, including economic trees before payments are made by the Ministry of Works.
He said the automation and sensitisation of public on land administration led to increase in internally generated revenue (IGR) of N1.42 billion in 2021.
Bababe noted that the defunct Ministry of Land and Survey could only generate N14.6 million in 2017.
“The increased revenue drives in the 2021 fiscal year are attributed to increased payments of ground rents and automation of land administration, as well as the blockage of all leakages in the system,” he said.
To overcome housing deficit, he said the agency allocated hectares of land to four private estate developers. “There will be no new layouts this year, as the existing ones in the metropolis and Jere council, are yet to be developed,” he said.
He said that four private developers have been directed to construct 500 housing units each for residents to buy or rent at competitive rates.
He said the land administration measures are to prevent all forms of “land title racketeering among some of the ward heads and vendors.”
MEANWHILE, the Plateau State government has introduced new land administration system to improve the revenue base of the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Yakubu Dati, gave the hint at a stakeholders engagement held in Jos.
He identified the five priority areas as enumeration of properties, recertification of titles, standardisation of conversion of titles from customary to statutory and massive issuance of demand notice for payment of ground rent.
In a keynote address, the Vice Chancellor, Plateau State University, Bokkos, Prof. Yohana Izam, who spoke on “Efficient Land Administration and Revenue” charged the ministry to simplify access to titles as a way to improve revenue.
In her remarks, a former chairman, Federal Inland Revenue and Chairman of CPP, Mrs. Ifueko Okauru, urged stakeholders to acquaint themselves with the Consolidated Revenue Law, see payment of taxes, rates and fees as a civic responsibility.
The representatives of estate surveyors and valuers, builders, private school proprietors, Nigerian Bar association (NBA), organised private sector and other stakeholders pledged to support the initiative.
The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Danladi Atu, Chief of Staff, Noel Donjur and Chairman of Plateau State Economic Team, Ezekiel Gomos, commended the ministry for bringing professionals, technocrats, development partners together to brainstorm on growth and development of the state.
In his remarks, His Royal Majesty, The LongTehl, Donald Puntehl, said the traditional rulers will continue to play their roles as mediators of customary landowners and government.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ambrose Allaburah, said land-based revenue is the new black gold of the 21st century, owing to the dwindling income generated from crude oil occasioned by alternative energy sources such as solar and biofuel.
