When town hall was held over Nasarawa lands

In his about 64 years, Chief Obi was leaving everything to his sons who will survive him, to pursue and get the certificate, which he spent much time trying to get. The old Plateau State government did not award him the certificate. Ditto the two military administrations that pioneered governance in Nasarawa State, as well […]

In his about 64 years, Chief Obi was leaving everything to his sons who will survive him, to pursue and get the certificate, which he spent much time trying to get.
The old Plateau State government did not award him the certificate. Ditto the two military administrations that pioneered governance in Nasarawa State, as well as the first two civilian administrations of Abdullahi Adamu and Aliyu Akwe Doma.
Recently, the applicant was awarded this certificate by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura over the plot of land in the Lafia-East section of Lafia, capital of Nasarawa State.
 “When I was called to come and pick my certificate, I thought someone wanted to make money from me knowing that I have spent my lifetime looking for this document,” was what Obi said when he was awarded his certificate at a ceremony at the palace of Etsu Karu in Karu Local Government Area.
The applicant received his certificate alongside other applicants, who had also waited for long for the document.
The ceremony came six months after Governor Al-Makura officially signed 108 certificates for property owners at the complex of Nasarawa Geographic Information System (NAGIS) in Mararaba. That was on May 30.
Under previous governments, certification of lands was tied down, with only personalities with good connection with Government House could get theirs. NAGIS, a habitat project which seeks to put all of Nasarawa’s lands on the computer through a computerized and digitization programme, introduced the recertification of property, phasing out the old and bogus certification where the governor’s signature appeared in not less than 16 places.
In Nasarawa State, as is with many states, acquiring land titles was a function of one’s connection with Government House, a development which saw only above 600 CsofO in the hands of privileged property owners in 17 years.
 NAGIS, the N2.7 billion (UD$16,876,561) multi-faceted contract which execution has only clocked a year, has three components: Digital Area Mapping (DAM), carried out by Aeroprecisa Limited; Nasarawa Geographic Information Services, undertaken by GIS Transport; and the planning of cadastral districts, by a team of Nigeria’s leading town planners: Pragmatic Solutions Consult Nigeria, Envicons, and National Environmental Design Associates, in what will give a detailed planning and development control to phase out the growth of slums in the state. The three firms are working under the contract signed by Siraj Consulting Engineers.
When the governor presented the certificates to the beneficiaries, last week, it was to illustrate that the system introduced by his administration works. He encouraged property owners, to apply for their certificates, and those who had been reluctant because of the experience of others, to make haste and apply.
 “We cannot keep your certificates. They are yours for the taking once you apply,” Al-Makura declared, as he said the process takes only about 30 days to carry out survey, and issue the certificate. He said weekly, he will be signing 100 certificates.
 Eze Unoikwa Emmanuel, an applicant who also benefitted, said he owns an industrial plot of 3.84 hectares in Mararaba Loko, and had spent his company’s lifetime pursuing the document.  
The event tagged “Town Hall” attracted stakeholders in the state. It was put up by the partners in the implementation of NAGIS, after a visit to Pham. Luka Panya Baba, the Etsu Karu, by the Project Manager, Ibrahim Usman Jibril who was accompanied by Peter Ritchie, Senior Consultant, David Dole Attah, Karu Area Officer for Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, as well as Martha Dada, NAGIS Stakeholder Relations.
The NAGIS delegation updated the Esu Karu on the progress made so far in the implementation of the project, assuring the paramount ruler that the NAGIS infrastructure and technical systems are now in place, and NAGIS staff are ready to serve the state government and the public.
Ibrahim Jibril noted that the entire state has already been photographed using a purpose built aircraft and photogrammetric camera, the first state in Nigeria with access to such high quality images, and presented the Etsu Karu with an orthophoto of the palace. Such images are used by NAGIS to inform survey, development control and planning.
 The Etsu Karu assured NAGIS of his full support and his belief that the project will make a positive impact on the people of Nasarawa and in the socio-economic development.