By Chris Alu
Fraud, falsification and distortion of records have been alleged as the characteristic features of the activities of the Abuja Geographical and Information Services (AGIS).
The agency was established by the Federal Government in 2003, to embark on complete computerization of the cadastral and land registry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
An aggrieved petitioner, Chief Frank Okoye, the Chief Executive Officer of Frank Woopet Nigeria Limited, told our correspondent that such distortion and falsification are allegedly perpetrated by the staff of AGIS to deprive developers of lands and reallocate the same to other influential people mainly government officials.
Our reporter's investigations from discussion with officials of AGIS revealed that the sharp practices are sometimes initiated by influential presidency officials, who generate letters purportedly signed by the president aimed at giving land to their 'friends'.
The letters which usually target choice lands in the FCT are allegedly passed on to the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) officials, many of whom have turned to land racketeers and who in turn deceive the FCT Minister into signing the letters.
At the time of this report, a landed property earmarked for the construction of a five-star hotel at the Aviation village in FCT is allegedly being taken over and re-allocated to two individuals from Katsina and Delta states.
Although cases of this nature abound and many more are already in court, Chief Frank Okoye, who claims to be the owner of a proposed site in the FCT, said they had written a petition to the Minister over the takeover of the plot but that nothing is being done to correct this anomaly.
Woopet said that all the letters written to AGIS did not yield any official response.
Chief Okoye complained that Plot No. 1342 and 1343, with an old file No MISC 11546 Cadastral Zone 06-07, and a new No. 107 file no 52953 Cadastral Zone, E05, dated 05/29/97, belonging to Frank Woopet Nigeria Limited was sub-divided into three plots, with two of them re-allocated to two different people.
When our reporter visited Chief Frank Okoye in his office at Wuse 2, he said that one Mahmud Bello (a.k.a "Wuse Bello", of the data base unit of AGIS) showed him a letter purportedly written by the Presidency directing that his land with Certificate of Occupancy be used to settle some "friends to the Presidency".
Peoples Daily checks revealed that the first part of the proposed site for the construction of a five-star hotel was re-allocated to Al-saif Synergy Limited, of No.5, Modoji Road, Katsina, Katsina state with a new file number MISC 110896 and R-of-O dated 10/01/2011. Similarly, Mr. Ezganga Nigeria Limited, from 20A, Okumagba Avenue, Warri, Delta state was re-allocated the second part of the plot belonging to Frank Woopet Nigeria Limited.
According to the Change of Offer of Statutory Right of Occupancy issued to Mr. Ezganga, his new file number reads MISC 112744 and was dated 16/03/2011.
Further checks at the record of AGIS revealed that Woopet had complied with the rules guiding the land issuance; notwithstanding, however, AGIS went ahead to partition the land into three leaving him with one portion, while the other two were allocated to two different people without notice to the original owners.
When our reporter visited AGIS, those who spoke to him, but on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that Frank Woopet Nigeria Limited, owners of the hotel-plot at the Aviation Village has a good case since he has Certificate of Occupancy and evidence of payments of ground rent.
As to why the company's land was partitioned into three, the sources said that the Aviation Village was re-designed by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning which made the plot lose its original form.
The source said Frank Woopet Nigeria Limited should write to the Minister of FCT to recover the original plot.
Efforts to reach AGIS Director, Hajiya Jamila Tangaza was rebuffed, as she neither answered calls made to her telephone nor replied the text messages sent.
The post Falsification of records uncovered at AGIS (http://peoplesdailyng.com/falsification-of-records-uncovered-at-agis/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
Peoples Daily Newspaper
Falsification of records has always been prominent in this country. It's sort of like a hobby for so many bad individuals now.