By Joshua Egbodo
Abuja
House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into implementation of the land swap policy of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), with a view to ascertaining alleged infringements in the policy.
To this end, the House Committee on the FCT, expected to be in place soon, had been mandated to carry out the investigation, “as well check to unravel the causes of frequent contracts variation and abandonment of capital projects by the Administration, and report back its findings with appropriate recommendations to checkmate further breaches, if any.”
The land swap policy was designed in a manner that allows the FCTA to grant undeveloped lands to estate developers who in turn provide infrastructure, as “well as develop the lands so awarded, and proceeds from the investment to be shared in a ratio of 60 to 40 per cent between the investor and the Administration, respectively.”
The resolution to investigate the implementation of the policy was fallout of a motion, moved yesterday by Hon. Abubakar Yunusa Ahmed, who expressed dismay that most infrastructural based projects had been abandoned, even after the FCTA initiated them and made adequate provisions for such in its budgets.
According to him, the immediate past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan allegedly approved variation in the contract values of some of the projects without due process, and that in a bid to source funds as additional revenue, the FCTA “embarked on a land swap policy in which green lands were granted to estate developers to build roads, install electricity, potable water, drainages and sewage lines.”
He added that the investigation was needed, as there were widespread allegations that the selection of investors was tainted with fraudulent practices and undue favouritism.
“The beneficiaries of the land swap policy have resorted to selling the lands to the public at exorbitant prices in utter disregard for the principles of the land swap policy.”