The controversial NLC, Kriston-Lally housing scheme

The first indication of fraudulent housing transactions prevalent in our nation’s capital is for persons or firms to commence collection of people’s funds prior to securing suitable land for the scheme. Due to acute housing problem these days, people are so desperate for owning houses to the extent that they would not spend time to […]

The first indication of fraudulent housing transactions prevalent in our nation’s capital is for persons or firms to commence collection of people’s funds prior to securing suitable land for the scheme. Due to acute housing problem these days, people are so desperate for owning houses to the extent that they would not spend time to determine the authenticity of the proposed housing project as the packages were marketed.
Many cases abound where people invest in what could be termed as mirage, while believing that they have invested in a package that would enable them get houses. Such ‘developers’ range from those who do not have the money, but would apply and be allocated large plots of land for mass housing project, they would then illegally subdivide the land and sell the plots in pieces. As enshrined in the term of agreement with the authority, they are to provide the infrastructure before building and selling the houses, not to subdivide the land and sell the plots.
Others would not even have proper titles, but would mischievously collect innocent and unsuspecting individuals’ hard earned money and illegally commence work without building plans approvals. When the law catches up with them in form of demolition of the illegal structures, they cunningly begin to make huge noise that they were being victimized, at the end of which the money of the innocent people that invested in the phony project was never refunded.
One of the untold stories of the multi-billion naira controversial NLC-Kriston Lally Housing Scheme is that, the land to be purportedly used for the so-called affordable housing is not earmarked for housing. How the NLC got hoodwinked into signing an agreement with Kriston Lally for this purported housing project still beats our imagination. There are no approved building plans for the project; the land is not even located in an area earmarked for housing in the Abuja master plan. Yet, the NLC allows financial contributions from desperate unsuspecting workers. This is a typical swindling activity in the name of assisting people to own houses as prevalent in Abuja. The unfortunate involvement of the NLC made the scheme assume a nationwide dimension.
The purported land for the project in Abuja is Plot No. 12 Karsana South District; it has a size of 29.86 ha. It was allocated to Life Win Nigeria Ltd by the Park and Recreation Department. It is supposed to be for greening and recreation, as such the developer applied to the development control for approval for a golf course. It is important to know that being a park and recreation allocation the development control department is mandated to prevent any contrary use of such land for any other purpose. Allowing it for other uses is a contravention of the Abuja master plan. All plots meant for housing, commercial, industrial, petrol filling stations and others are allocated by the FCTA Lands department, not Park and Recreations Department.
Somehow, midway into the approval process for the golf course development, the developer entered into agreement with NLC to provide housing on the same land meant for park and recreation in the nightmare project known as the NLC-Kriston Lally housing project. Even if the land is convertible for use for housing rather than recreation, it must be reallocated by the Lands department to enable the use for the housing estate. In short Kriston Lally or Life Win Nig Ltd do not have the land for such multi billion naira project as widely propagated, yet it went ahead to collect innocent individuals’ money for a project that cannot be actualized.
The ground breaking ceremony for the so-called scheme would have been done long ago by none other than Mr. President himself. It is the prompt intervention of the approving authority that saved the number one citizen from the huge embarrassment of being enmeshed in the scandal, by commissioning a development which the authority considers illegal. Normally, if such developments commence, they are served with demolition notice.
This type of swindling activities have been going on for long in Abuja, and shall continue, so long as nothing is done to the perpetrators.