Minister pledges end to encroachment on army’s land

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T), Muhammad Bello has assured the Nigerian Army of plans to amicably resolve issues of encroachment on its premises.

He attributed undue interference on lands belonging to the military to the making of past administration in the country.

According to him, encroachment on Military’s land was a problem inherited by the FCT upon assumption of office as the administration was particularly faced with the burden of rising demographics, pressure on land and overstretching of facilities.

The Minister stated this in Abuja when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai paid him a courtesy call. He said that being a creation of the law, solutions for land encroachment must be found within the framework of the same laws and documents that created Abuja, especially, the Master plan.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary Cosmas Uzodinma, he pledged to work with relevant Military department to seek lawful and amicable resolutions to the issue.

The Chief of Army Staff Lt. Tukur Buratai in his remarks lamented that institutions and individuals have encroached on military land with impunity, a development he noted must not be encouraged.

He said: ”The essence of the visit was to solicit the intervention of FCT administration in assisting the Nigerian Army to recover and commence infrastructure development of some of the land granted them upon relocation to Abuja.

Buratai said as a responsible outfit of government, the Nigerian Army is a responsible agency that believes in due process and would not take undue advantage of its position as a supremacy over others.

He commended FCT administration for its infrastructural development strides with regards to opening up the city, amid economic challenges of the time.