Suspend Land Swap Initiative Resumption, CITAD Begs FG
TECH DIGEST – The Centre For Information Technology And Development, CITAD, has urged the Federal government to immediately suspend the resumption of land swap initiative in the federal capital territory.
CITAD made the call during a press briefing in Abuja.
In the last two years, rural communities within federal capital territory have been battling with several challenges of land grabbing that is taken place in their community
Which makes many farmers to lose their land resulted to major threat in food security not only in FCT but all over the country.
Mr. Mubarak EKute, CITAD sponsorship officer, Abuja spoke during a press briefing, He said: “The FCT rural communities who are land owners and therefore likely to be dispossessed by the initiative were not consulted before the decision to resume the initiative was taken.
“Government has not explain how in the current phase, corruption would be put at bay and how the interests of rural communities would be taken into account in the new phase of the initiative.
“Government has not address any complaints of land grabbing and land misappropriation and dispossession that occurred in the earlier phase for which FCT rural communities have been the major victimsâ€.He added
In conclusion, Mr Mubarak advises the government to further suspend the resumption of the land swap initiative until: “It has carry out consultations among the citizens of the FCT, particularly rural dwellers and Come up with concrete and realistic plan for addressing rural infrastructure, not just infrastructure with the FCT urban area.