The Governors of Osun and Ondo States, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Dr. Segun Agagu; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, will be among the first batch of 193 recipients of the new-look certificates of occupancy being issued to land owners in Abuja. They will collect their certificates on Friday, October 15, 2004.
On Wednesday, the Lagos State Government at a ceremony presented seven C-of-Os to beneficiaries of its Ayobo Housing Scheme, saying that as at May 2004, the present administration had issued 4,617 C-of-Os.
According to Mr. Altine Jibrin of the FCT Ministry, 147 of the new C-of Os are for residential lands while the remaining 46 are for commercial uses. Firms such as Heritage Petroleum, Dantata & Sawoe and Strabag Construction Company are among recipients of the 46 commercial C-of-Os.
The new FCT C-of-O is the outcome of a re-certification process, whereby the old five-page C-of-O is being replaced by a new, two-page data base-driven one.
The Executive Secretary, Land Use & Allocation Committee in the Lagos State Lands Bureau, Mr. Gbenga Ashafa, told media executives that out of the 4,617 C-of-Os, 343 were for state land, 2,955 for private property and 149 through ratification process via government acquired-lands. He added that an additional 600 survey plans had been processed for the issuance of C-of-Os for plots within residential, commercial and industrial schemes.
Ashafa attributed attacks on government officials, practice of quack surveyors and non-completion of stipulated payment for land and survey fees for unnecessary delays in the issuance of C-of-Os. He said the public presentation was informed by the �negative publications the ministry had received.�
According to him, government�s priority is to issue C-of-Os to the general public within the shortest possible time of six to eight weeks upon full payment by beneficiaries, adding that the process was hindered due to frequent attacks on government surveyors by hoodlums.
�C-of-Os will be turned out in good time, provided all the relevant documents are current and complete. These include all payments receipts, development levy receipts, duly completed application and vital information forms, tax clearance certificates, passport photographs and survey plan,� he said.
One of the recipients, Mr. Adeniyi Adeyemi, explained that the C-of-O came to him as a surprise, adding that he submitted his completed application form six months ago. He called on the government to expedite action on the processing and issuance to land titles so that applicants can receive their C-of-Os at the stipulated time.
The PUNCH had published a story last Wednesday indicating that in spite of the best intentions of top officials in Lagos to reduce the waiting time, the issuance of C-of-Os was still mired in red tape.
