CAS Okays Land Directorate to Protect NAF Property
By Matthew Atungwu
To safeguard, regulate, record, oversee, and manage all Nigerian Air Force (NAF) lands and landed properties throughout the country, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of the Air Staff, has approved the creation of the Directorate of Land Administration (DLA).
The new directorate, which will be housed under the logistics branch, will coordinate with the various ministries of lands and base commanders among other things to make sure that any issues pertaining to trespassing and encroachments on NAF lands and landed properties are resolved quickly and in accordance with current laws.
A statement signed by NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said in the course of its expansion over the years, NAF acquired lands and landed properties in various parts of the country while some were allocated to the service by some state governments and the federal government.
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“Incessant issues of trespassing, encroachment, and needless disputes over un-demarcated or unfenced boundaries of some of these lands and landed properties have, however, necessitated the need for a proactive step towards securing all NAF lands as well as avoiding conflicts and disputes with civilians, institutions or organizations.
“The need for the NAF to address this situation is also expedient as some of these encroachments constitute a risk to the security of some NAF Bases with implications on national security,” it said.
According to the statement, the Air Force chief gave his approval for the Directorate of Land Administration (DLA) to be established in order to safeguard, manage, record, and oversee all of the NAF’s lands and landed properties across the country.
It said: “The new directorate, to be domiciled under the logistics branch, will among other functions, interface with the various ministries of lands as well as the base commanders in ensuring that all matters related to trespassing and encroachments on NAF lands and landed properties are expeditiously dispensed with in line with extant laws”.
