The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged agencies to develop the land allotted to them or lose it.
The minister said this in Abuja on Thursday, while playing host to customs officers, led by the acting Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi.
The Nigerian Customs Service requested for reconsideration over the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s revocation of its land was denied by the Minister.
However, Wike said the agency may only retrieve the land that was revoked by paying the FCTA what the land is currently worth in the market, according to the Independent.
Adeniyi requested land to build primary and secondary schools for the children of the more than 2,000 customs officers residing in the FCT.
Wike said, “I read your letter on the revoked land, very bad; very bad; very bad, but what do I do?
“When we gave you the land, you refused to use it; FCT will now sell it to you, and when we give you a Certificate of Ownership, you pay our ground rent.
“I will give you the opportunity to buy the land from FCT and give you the value of the land now,” he said.
He said that FCTA would support the service to achieve its aims and objectives, but lamented how government agencies were allocated land in FCT and refused to develop them.
Speaking on the land for school development, the minister assured the customs boss that it would be considered but on the condition that the agency would pledge to develop the land within a specific period.
Failure to comply, the minister said that the land would be revoked.
“Schools, very important. It is not only the children of customs officers that will attend the schools.
“My policy now is that, before we give land to any agency, it must commit that it will develop the land within a certain number of years and if not developed the FCT should take back the land.
