ACF demands land reform, state for FCT indigenes

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on Northern governors and lawmakers to undertake sweeping reforms of land ownership and control in the region to checkmate the looming crisis of increasing acquisition by foreigners. This was disclosed on Wednesday by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, at the start of the […]

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on Northern governors and lawmakers to undertake sweeping reforms of land ownership and control in the region to checkmate the looming crisis of increasing acquisition by foreigners.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, at the start of the board’s meeting in Kaduna.

Dalhatu decried the inability of Northerners to acquire property in some parts of the South, particularly the Southeast, despite the region’s openness to people from all over Nigeria.

“It is deeply regrettable that Southerners have refused to reciprocate this noble gesture by the North. In fact, in many parts of the South, especially the Southeast, a Northerner cannot expect to acquire one square foot of land—not to speak of owning any significant property,” he said.

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He called on Northern governors and lawmakers to undertake sweeping reforms of land ownership and control, warning that a land crisis was looming due to increasing acquisition by foreigners.

“Authorities in the North must ensure that Northerners do not become landless in their own territory,” he said.

Dalhatu also raised the issue of the Federal Capital Territory, demanding restitution and justice for its indigenous people, who were displaced during Abuja’s development.

“The indigenous people of the FCT have been forcefully driven away from their ancestral land and rendered landless and homeless through no fault of theirs. This injustice calls for an urgent review.

“The time has come for Nigeria to fulfil its obligations to the indigenous people of Abuja, including the creation of a state for them within the federation,” he added.