SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
The Executive Chairman, Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Surveyor Bashir Ibrahim has said that 80 per cent of land or property owners in Maiduguri city have no legal title documents, proof of ownership except written agreement’s from Bulumas and Lawans.
Bashir added that most of the title holders have problem of documentation for their land/property allocated to them as the processes of regularising their documents were incomplete.
The Chairman, who stated this at a press briefing with journalists in his office Monday, frowned at the ways and manners people who claimed they have documents in their property have fake documents or no change of ownership if the land while others have two or three owners on a plot of land.
While pointing out that BOGIS has to authentic every piece of plot of land within and outside MAIDUGURI city in the interest of the people, he said “everybody should come forward to legalize his or her title.
Bashir stressed that it is compulsory to land owners to properly document their property and pay their charges or stand the chance of losing their property back to the government as the law provides in any part of the country while describing documents not regularized or legalized as useless and fake.
“Such documents has no legal backing and cannot be tendered for any mortgage or collateral. I appeal to the people to come forward to register their property, document and regularize them hence without such legality, the property have some implications.
“Several states have implemented the process and ensured compliance where more than 20 states have documented their land ownership in the interest of the people.
“I urge the media to assist us to disseminate this to the people to ease our work. We are now in the sixth month of the commencement of land or property documentation and people have been responding.
“We divided the city into phases and went round to identify all the structures, both residential, commercial and industrial property. Produce lay out plans are in progress where in three months notice will be served and when it is expired, we expect all the title holders within the phase I pilot area to come forward to document their land or property”, Shettima said.
He also called on the people to understand and be enlightened on the land ownership in order for them to enjoy the privileges available while appealing to the public to also confirm or verify any transfer or change of land ownership at the BOGIS office and avoid personal change of ownership.
The Chairman cautioned that anybody should be allocated without the seeking if the consent of the signatory who is the state governor, pointing out that, land owners or title holders should come back to BOGIS to regularize their documents in their own interest before the office commences full enforcement and revocation exercise.
According to him, the governor has the constitutional right to revoke and reallocate land in his state in case of non-development of allocated land payment of grants in line with the terms and conditions of certification beginning with a two years term and subsequent review of the allocation if applied for by the title holders.
He said the work of the BOGIS is to only nature proper documentation of land and landed property whether residential or commercial or industrial and any other structures in the environment by identifying them, ensuring proper documentation, monitoring and evaluation of land use across the among others which made BOGIS to go round this state capital MAIDUGURI and discovered that many plots are undeveloped for several years based on the allocation terms.
The Chief Surveyor also frowned at the manner plots allocated for residential purpose were converted into industrial or commercial purpose while in some cases plots allocated as commercial or industrial land were converted to residential property without coming to the office for documentation or change of ownership or use and terms as well as conditions of the allocation.
“Some even run away from government or refuse to do the right thing they know because of avoiding grant charges but they want to make money and don’t want to pay their levies to the government to provide services to them as well. It is in their interest whatever government is doing not to the personal interest of the governor but the people.
“Residential plots are allocated by government for only 99 years as the land use act enshrines while the commercial plots are allocated for only 40 years. After which government has the right to use its land for another purpose or whatever it wants for the public with certain compensation where there are genuine and evidenced documentation or certificate.
“In situations where there documentation or certificate or any legal proof of allocation or ownership by the title holder, he or she stands to lose the property without compensation. Because allocation for house is 99 years and business 40 years certification. Please should be enlightened about this and come forward to document their property especially those areas we have stated phasing as pilot area.
“They have only three months now left for them to come over and regularize their property. At the expiry of the notice we shall take action against all illegal allocations and fake documents especially those that have two or three or more ownership on a particular plot of land. Those who transfer or change ownership of land without having proper and correct documents.
“Also those who divided their residential plots into two or three or more for commercial purpose like shops and filling stations or factories should come for change of ownership and payment of grants as residential houses have their grants based on location of the land. Just as commercial purpose land has its grant rate based on the location. Areas we have commenced work, Phase I like Lagos street, Damboa road, GRA , School of nursing area, Open theater, Forestry, and others should comply on time” Shettima said.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
Leave a Reply