Tension As Obi Revokes Over 5,000 Land Allocations , Land Commissioner Okoli-Akirika Gives Reasons

Top Government officials were among those who lost their allocations in the ongoing revocation of land titles by the Anambra state government, so said the State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Chief C.J Okoli Akirika, a lawyer.





Okoli-Akirika disclosed this while reacting to allegations that the revocation was selective and a means of patronizing his political friends by some top government officials who lost their titles.
 The Nation leant over 5,000 land title holders from across the various government reserved areas and estates had their land titles revoked by the Obi administration for failing to develop them.
The Land Commissioner confirmed that Anambra state Chief Judge, His Lordship, Hon Justice Peter Umeadi , serving commissioners and Permanent Secretaries as well as ex top officials were affected by the government decision. He said he could not confirm the number of causalities whether they are up to 5, 000 or not but that there are available records to refer to.
Okoli-Akirika said: ‘’the issue of revocation is official, legal and equitable and it is between the guarantor and the state government. There are certain conditions given before a land is allocated to an individual and if that individual fails to uphold that , he or she stands to loose the allocation no matter his standing because the law is not done for any person.
‘’An allocation done 17 years ago was not developed , this government to ensure its common patrimony is not wasted , that informs the revocation of the undeveloped plots. It was done in good faith and we have nobody in mind while revoking the plots.
‘’Government never asked anybody to write a letter of revocation but a letter of annulment stating reasons why they did not develop their plots as at when due and if the reasons are genuine we would reconsider giving the person a plot some other place. We can annul a plot revoked but if a plot was revoked for failure to keep to the rules given the allottees when the lands were allocated to them, then they have no reason to ask annulment.
‘’The Chief Judge was affected by the revocation, so also serving commissioners and Permanent Secretaries as well as other top government civil servants but they applied for annulment and we looked into the reason why they were unable to develop the plots when the lands were allotted to them like the Chief Judge said it was lack of accessibility and we looked into it and it was true and he has gotten his allocation back. So many others like that are being considered for annulment once investigated and we discover it is true.
‘’Yes we are revoking plots but it is not targeted at anybody but a normal government process for the good of all and on the allegation that they lands were given to my political friends , it was not true because I don’t even have a right to allocate a land , it is the Governor that has the right. There are no development on the plots we revoked. We gazette and publicize any plot revoked for transparency’’.    
But those crying foul play were mostly retired senior officers who alleged they got land titles some 27 years ago at Abuja Estate in 1997 but before they could develop they were reassigned another estate at Think Home estate.
The Think Home estate they alleged were later revoked for Neighborhood Estate behind NNPC fuel station along Enugu Onitsha expressway near Iyi -Agu estate. The Think Home was used for compensation to the land owners. The new estate they are alleging that Government has revoked.
Although they refused to be named to avoid vendetta with their pension and gratuities, they claimed they were forced to write a letter of forfeiture for their plots even when they have started developing.
 
These allegations were confirmed by sitting commissioners and Permanent Secretaries but they would not want to be named.
He said the revocation was duly authorized and publicized before actions were taken.
 The Nation recalls that the Land Commissioner have warned plot owners across the state in the Government Reserved Areas to develop them or risk the revocation of their allotments.

Akirika said that the plots within Iyi-Agu layout, totaling about 500 plots were allocated to judges, permanent secretaries and other  government officials and citizens of the state more than 15 years ago.

 “The idea behind the carving out of the Iyi-Agu layout is to have a  mixed housing estate which was conceptualized by the administration of  Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju.
“But because the contractors could not source funds for the concept, government took over the area.
“We warned them that by January 31, 2013, if the allotees fail to utilize this opportunity to commence development on their various allocations, we will have no other choice than to revoke their plots of land.

“We shall then give them to those who actually want to develop the property.

“Awka as a state capital has been lagging behind because plot owners have refused to develop their property,” he said.

 

The Surveyor-General of the state, Mr. Anthony Onwubuya, said that the survey of the area had been completed while plans had been issued for Certificates of Occupancy. He said about 1.2 kilometers of roads within the Iyi-Agu layout had been constructed.