ABUJA – In view of overriding public interest, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the immediate re-instatements of 3,645 plots that were revoked in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister of Federal Capital territory FCT,  Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who made this disclosure in his office,  said that these plots of land allocated between the 17th and 28th of May 2007 in FCT. According to him, these plots were allegedly irregularly allocated, hence the Senate recommended their revocation.

“This is to inform beneficiaries of land allocations by the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA between the 17th and 28th of May 2007, that President Goodluck Jonathan has graciously approved the restoration of titles to those whose plots were hitherto alleged to have been irregularly allocated within the above time frame,” the Minister said. The Minister recalled that the revocation of the plots arose from a resolution reached by the Senate in 2007 based on the report by the Senate Committee on FCT that investigated the activities of an erstwhile FCT Minister.

The Senate had then recommended the withdrawal of 3,645 plots from title holders on ground that they were allocated from May 17 to 29, 2007.  The reason given by the legislators for passing the revocation resolution was that the Federal Executive Council FEC was already dissolved.

“It was however, later discovered and confirmed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, that the FEC was not dissolved until 29th  May 2007 when power was transmitted to the succeeding federal administration.

In view of that discovery and the fact that the implementation of the Senate resolution by the succeeding FCT Administration had inflicted pains on owners of such titles and in many cases resulted in court litigation, the matter was revisited by the 6th  Senate which subsequently withdrew its earlier resolution,” he said.

According the Minister, it was in view of this scenario that  the FCT Administration recommended to the President that all titles revoked as a result of the then Senate resolutions on revoked titles in 2007  be reinstated.

He advised the beneficiaries of affected titles who have instituted suits against the Federal Capital Territory Administration  to immediately withdraw such suits to pave way for amicable resolution.

“All affected plots that have been re-allocated to third parties, which are yet to be developed or attain substantial level of development shall be cancelled and titles regularised in favour of the original allottees; and that affected allotees whose plots have been substantially developed by third parties with approved building plans granted by the Department of Development Control shall be considered for alternative plots of land. ”

Senator Mohammed however disclosed that titles that have been in one way or the other cancelled or revoked by court judgments or administrative investigations and actions of the Federal Capital Territory Administration shall remain cancelled/revoked.