Anambra Government yesterday announced the revocation of about 200 plots of land in three different layouts in the state following the failure of the allottee owners to develop them after 15 years.
Affected layouts include the Abuja Estate Phase One, Agu-Awka and Odera Layouts, all in Awka, the state capital.
The state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Town Planning, Mr Okoli Akirika who disclosed this to reporters, said his ministry had for some time been visiting Government Reserved Areas (GRA)in the state to ascertain the level of development of the allotted plots of lands, many years after the allotment.
He said that it was wrong to have all the plots lying fallow when average citizens were desirous of places to build on. “Surprisingly, those who had the opportunity for 15 years could not develop their property’, he noted.
Akirika pointed out that Gov Peter Obi was under the law to address the anomaly, adding that it was reason the decision to revoke the plots now. According to him, “Fundamentally, the allottees were not the owners of the land. All lands belong to government who made the allocations, as such the allotees should have kept their own part of agreement’.
“The state governor has consented to the revocation of over 200 plots of lands at
Agu-Awka, Odera and Abuja phase one layouts’’
“The requisite legal notice will be issued to the affected plots owners when the process is properly and legally gazetted,” Akirika Stated
The Commissioner however warned other allottees in other estates in the state to move in and step up action on their areas or have themselves to blame. He said they have already given allottees at the Ikenga and Real Estates, also in Awka a 30days grace period till Dec 31, 2012 within which to commence development on their property or risk revocation also.
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He appealed to members of the public to be weary of their dealings with land speculators in the affected revoked lands.
