By ADEMOLA ADEGBITE, Abuja

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is set to deal decisively with some of its officials who were conniving with unscrupulous individuals to allocate lands illegally to unsuspected Nigerians.

An investigation by Tribune Online revealed that some officials are already issuing letters of allocation in that respect to some unsuspected individuals.

Confirming this development at the weekend in Abuja, while speaking with some journalists, the acting Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) of the FCTA, Mr Abdulhamid Sulaiman, therefore, warned the public not to fall victim of such criminal activities.

He said only FCT Minister, Malam Mohammad Musa Bello has the power to allocate land in the territory, be it open spaces, green areas or recreational parks, noting that the exclusive powers to allocate land in the nation’s capital were delegated to the minister by President and Commander-in-Chief, as the Governor-General of FCT.

The coordinator further warned that anybody caught dealing on these illegal allocations would not only be dealt with in the Civil Service way but would also be prosecuted.

Mr Suleiman, who said there was an existing embargo on land allocation for green areas, recreational parks and open spaces in the territory, affirmed that any allocation or transaction with respect to these land purposes while the embargo subsists was “null and void.”

According to him: “So any transaction outside the Minister’s approval is deemed illegal and illegitimate and will be prosecuted and the culprit punished accordingly.

“In addition to that, I also want to draw the attention of the public to strict adherence to development control guidelines because the FCT is a planned city, based on the Abuja Master Plan and all the regulations must be followed in order to avoid distortion that could risk the destruction of lives and property.

“Therefore, those willing to develop their legitimately and legally allocated land should approach the Development Control Department (DCD) for guidance and proper approval before they can commence development,” he advised. (Sunday Tribune)