Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has turned down the request of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for reconsideration over the revocation of its land by the FCT Administration (FCTA).
The minister announced the rejection when the customs officers, led by the acting Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, visited him in Abuja on Thursday.
The FCTA had revoked rights of some individuals and organisations for failing to develop their lands.
However, Adeniyi told the minister that the NCS needed the land to build primary and secondary schools for the children of its personnel residing in the FCT.
“I read your letter on the revoked land, very bad; very bad; very bad, but what do I do?” Wike asked.
The minister bemoaned how government agencies, which were allocated land in the FCT failed to develop them but said, however, the FCTA would support the NCS to achieve its objectives.
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Wike promised to consider Adeniyi’s request but subject to a pledge to develop the land within a specific period, saying failure to do so, would result in revoking it.
He said: “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.
“I will not allocate land that will lay to thy kingdom come. So, you must convince me that you are indeed really serious about building schools for the children of your staff and our children.”
He also told the NCS that it would pay ground rent as when due.
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The minister added: “Be rest assured that I am going to approve the land for the school. You bring the application; I will sign it and give it to the director of lands to give the land that you can use.”
Adeniyi had congratulated Wike on his appointment as the FCT Minister and the the good works he had done already.
He said with more than 2,000 officers residing in the FCT and contributing to the development of the city, the NCS is a critical stakeholder.
He explained that there was need to provide quality education to the children of his personnel, adding that not all of the children could have access to public schools, hence the request for a land to build primary and secondary schools for them.
