Wike to allocate land for NCS to build schools in Abuja

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has promised to allocate a land to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to build primary and secondary schools for its staff in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Wike, who made the pledge yestetday when a delegation of the NCS led by the Acting Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, paid a courtesy visit to his office, however asked the Service to sign an undertaking with the FCT Administration, stipulating the timeframe for the establishment of the schools, failure to do so, the FCTA will revoke and reclaim such land.

While responding to an appeal letter by the NCS for him to reconsider the recent revocation of its land in the Territory, the Minister insisted that the Service may have to pay penalties, in order to repossess the land.

He also faulted the failure of the Service to develop the land after it had been given by the FCT, adding that if the certificate of ownership of the land is reissued, the NCS must also pay ground rent.

According to him: “Schools are very important, as is not only your children that will be going to those schools, our own and other peoples children will go to those schools. So, be rest assured that I’m going to approve the land for you to build schools.

“But on the condition that the general Counsel and customs legal adviser have to put their heads together to draft an undertaking, and you bring the application and I will sign it and forward to director of lands and permanent secretary, they will make sure that they give you a land that you can use. So, it is not going to be just to come and collect huge land, then we will go and pay compensation, and at the end of the day, you are not going to use it, we will not do that.”

Continuing, the Minister said:
“I got your letter on the revoked land. It is very bad, what do I do? I will give you where you can run away from. If we say we will give you back your revoked land, it will look like we are not serious as every agency of government will come to ask for thiers. The moment that they hear that we have given to Customs back their land, all the other agencies will also run back.

“Government must show that they are serious in doing things. Government had given you land for how many years now? Nobody wants to develop, and only when you have heard that we have revoked, then I saw your letter and laughed.

“Frankly speaking, we will look at it and see what we can do. If you are going to pay penalty, you will pay. So, that’s what I could do, as we are not going to do anything that would not make you to succeed, but on the land application for schools, please don’t hesitate to expedite action on it.”

Speaking earlier, the Acting CG of the NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, said the purpose of the visit was to congratulate Wike on his appointment as FCT Minister, and his achievements so far as well as seek support on the establishment of schools for its staff in Abuja.

He described the Customs Service, as a critical stakeholder in the FCT, as up to 2500 officers lived and contributed to the development of the FCT.

He added that NCS officers’ children could not access public schools and were under pressure at private schools, hence the request for a land to build primary and secondary schools for children of staff.