Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has signed and issued over 8,000 Certificates of Occupancy, (CofO), to landowners and investors across the 13 Local Government Areas( LGAs) of the state in the last seven years.
Barr. David Sule-Moyi, Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, announced this on Monday in Lafia during a ministerial briefing organised by Dr Ibrahim Tanko, Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, to enable government officials to showcase their achievements.
According to him, the mass issuance of C of Os is part of Gov. Sule’s land reform agenda aimed at securing land tenure, boosting the ease of doing business, and increasing the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR).
“Before this administration, it used to take years to process a C of O. But today, through digitalisation and reforms it takes just two months, provided the applicant pays the necessary fees,” he said.
He added that the reforms have also helped in curbing land grabbing, multiple allocations, and fraudulent land transactions.
The Commissioner encouraged land owners to apply for C of Os, assuring that the signing of the document does not exceed two months if the application fees are paid in line with the requirements.
Sule-Moyi Commissioner further said that the ministry is processing and issuing R of Os within two weeks of application, after the payment of all the necessary fees.
“In one to two months, you can get your C of O, but for your R of O, you can get it within two weeks.
“You can get it if you play your own part because there are situations where people will come, initiate the process, but fail to pay some of the fees.
“We have three technical directors. That is Director Lands, Surveyor General, and Director Town Planning who are ready to attend to any application and ensure it is given the attention it deserves.
“So, they are always available. The moment these applications get to them, they do not waste their time. So, sometimes it is just the laxity on the part of the applicants to do the needful,” Sule-Moyi added.
Speaking on the issue of land grabbing, the Commissioner noted that the state government was making efforts to enact an anti–land-grabbing law to tackle the menace.
On his part, the Commissioner for Information noted that the ministry had created several avenues, including the ministerial briefing, to enlighten, educate and inform the public about the policies, programmes and projects embarked upon by the present administration in the state.
He appealed to members of the public to register their lands to support the government’s efforts in tackling the issues of land grabbing and land disputes in the state.
The Information Commissioner further said his ministry would embark on regular orientation of rural dwellers to enlighten them on the issues associated with lands in the state, as a way to address misinformation and misconceptions among members of the public. (NAN).
