House of Reps mandates its Committee on FCT to investigate Land Swap Policy

With a view to ascertaining alleged infringements in the Land swap policy, House of Representatives yesterday ordered an investigation into implementation of the Policy initiated by former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohammed.

The policy, a land-based financing of infrastructure development, involves the granting of land to competent real estate developers, who will in turn provide infrastructure such as roads, electricity, portable water, storm water drainage, sewer lines and communication dots to residents, without any financial or technical demand to the government.

Proceeds from the investment are to be shared in a ratio of 60 to 40 per cent between the investor and the administration, respectively.

At its plenary session, presided by Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, the House mandated its Committee on FCT, expected to be in place soon, to carry out the investigation.

The committee would also unravel the causes of frequent contracts variation and abandonment of capital projects by FCT Administration.

The resolution to investigate the implementation of the policy was the fallout of a motion, brought by Abubakar Yunusa Ahmed, who expressed dismay that most infrastructural based projects in the FCT have been abandoned, even after the administration initiated them and made adequate provisions for such in its budgets.

According to him, the immediate past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan allegedly approved variation in the contract values of some of the projects without due process, and that in a bid to source funds as additional revenue, FCTA “embarked on a land swap policy in which green lands were granted to estate developers to build roads, install electricity, potable water, drainages and sewage lines.”

He argued further that the investigation was needed, as there were widespread allegations that selection of investors was tainted with fraudulent practices and undue favoritism.

“The beneficiaries of the land swap policy have resorted to selling the lands to the public at exorbitant prices in utter disregard for the principles of the land swap policy,” he said.

It would be recalled that in August 2013, indigenes of the FCT sought the intervention of the 7th National Assembly over alleged usurpation of their ancestral homes under the land swap policy.

The protesting indigenes had threatened to petition the United Nations and other world bodies if 30 per cent of the scheme is not ceded them.