FCT Minister Grants Land Titles to Traditional Rulers, Waives All Fees

FCT Minister Grants Land Titles to Traditional Rulers, Waives All Fees

In a historic initiative aimed at strengthening ties between the federal government and indigenous authorities, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has presented land allocation documents to members of the FCT Council of Chiefs. The ceremony took place in Abuja on Friday.

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Acting on instructions from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike announced a complete waiver of all statutory fees for the land titles, recognizing the historical presence of indigenous people in the FCT. “We cannot deny the fact that there are indigenous people who were here before the creation of the FCT,” Wike said. “The President said we must extend a hand of fellowship to you. If those who make peace cannot be appreciated with land, who should be?”

The Minister praised the chiefs for ensuring what he described as the “most peaceful” Area Council elections in the FCT’s history. To further support traditional institutions, Wike promised the provision of utility vehicles to help monarchs maintain order within their communities.

Several major infrastructure projects in the FCT satellite towns were highlighted, including the dualization of the Airport-Kuje road, ongoing work on the Bwari-Zuba link, developments along Apo/Karshi and Basan Jiwa, and the completion of the “Arab Road” network, all scheduled for commissioning this June.

The waiver of land processing fees, Wike explained, was intended to avoid asking traditional rulers to pay for lands their communities have inhabited for generations.

The Ona of Abaji, Alhaji (Dr.) Adamu Baba Yunusa, Chairman of the Council, expressed gratitude to the President and the Minister, reaffirming the traditional institutions’ continued support for the administration’s policies.

FCT Minister Grants Land Titles to Traditional Rulers, Waives All Fees