Wike hands over land titles to FCT traditional rulers, waives fees

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken steps to strengthen ties between the government and traditional institutions by presenting land allocation documents to members of the FCT Council of Traditional Rulers.

Speaking during a meeting with the council in Abuja on Friday, Wike announced a full waiver of all statutory fees attached to the land titles.

He explained that the decision followed direct instructions from President Bola Tinubu.

The minister noted that the move reflects the administration’s commitment to recognising the historical presence and rights of indigenous communities, even in cases where legal systems may have previously failed to acknowledge original ownership.

“We cannot deny the fact that there are indigenous people who were here before the creation of the FCT,” he stated.

He said it is essential to extend a hand of fellowship to those who resided in the territory before the creation of the FCT, asking, “If those who make peace cannot be appreciated with land, who should be?”

The minister praised the monarchs for their role in ensuring that the recent Area Council elections were the most peaceful in the history of the territory.

To further support their efforts in maintaining order, Wike also pledged to provide utility vehicles for all traditional rulers within the FCT.

Wike noted that it would be “unfair” to require traditional rulers to source large sums of money for titles to land they have inhabited for generations.

Beyond land administration, the minister also cited several ongoing infrastructure projects aimed at developing satellite towns. These include the dualization of the Airport-Kuje road, the Bwari-Zuba link road, projects in Apo/Karshi and Basan Jiwa, and the completion of the Gbazango road network.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Council, the Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, pledged the continued support of traditional institutions for the administration’s policies.

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