Land Use Tribunal tells Abuja residents to take advantage of its services

Mrs Zalihau Ahmed, Secretary, Abuja Urban and Regional Tribunal on Monday called on the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to make use of services of the tribunal.

Ahmed told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the tribunal was to adjudicate and resolve issues on the use of land.

She said that in the Land Use Act and by the Nigerian Urban and Regional Act there were procedures for change of use.

“So if the government actually changed this use and you are not comfortable, it is affecting you whether as a neighbour, resident or passer – by, you can bring them to the tribunal.

“Like your neighbour had a residential land he has changed to commercial use thereby creating nuisance, generating more traffic more waste, noise and all these things.

“ Or if you have a school land and you have converted it to shops or you have a health clinic site you convert it to shopping complex.

“ The government itself has redesigned a green area for residential and allocated to people who are building on that green area you have the right to sue the government,” Ahmed said.

She urged the residents to come to the tribunal even on issues of compensation.

“I assure you, you will get justice; like the issue of compensation, we have four cases of compensation now.

“ If the government take over your land, they have the right to take over your land but you got the right to get proper compensation.

“If your land is taken over and you are not compensated for the structure on the land and you are not comfortable you can bring them to the tribunal,” Ahmed said.

She said that the tribunal had adjudicated on a number of issues.

“ We have recorded about 116 cases, some of them were declined on lack of jurisdiction because the tribunal does not have jurisdiction on title issue. It is only on developmental issues, issues of land use.

“If you bring your case on title, the tribunal will decline jurisdiction, some of them were withdrawn or struck out either for lack of diligent prosecution or for lack of proper documentation, ” Ahmed said.

“And in line with the rule of procedure, we have documentation that needs to be completed before any case is heard.

“As it is today I think we have about 63 cases going on and in line with our rule of procedure, ” she said.