Don’t Issue C Of O To Persons With Illegal Documents-Plateau JNI Cautions Governor Lalong 

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Yakubu. Busari

Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Plateau State chapter has charged Governor Simon Lalong not to issue Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), to illegal applicants on its land. It charged Lalong to carry out a meticulous screening of all applications in order to weed out dubious ones and avoid granting fraudulent requests, as he commenced the issuance of 50,000 C of O, which his predecessor had suspended for the past 8 years.

The charged was made in a press statement issued by the JNI Publicity Secretary Muhummad Sani Mudi, yesterday stating that; “For over ten (10) years now, trespassers had encroached on the premises of Sardauna Memorial College, formerly GSS Jos, which was founded by JNI and was taken over the military government in the 70’s; but later returned to us in the year 2000 by the Dariye Administration which returned voluntary agencies owned schools to the founders.

”It lamented that the school was vandalized by communities living around the school area at Farin Gada, in the wake of the series of ethno-religious crises in the State, stating that all attempts by JNI to secure government’s assistance to reclaim the property and guaranty its safety had failed as the previous government had turned deaf ears to it pleas for such deserve assistance.“

Illegal development now cover over eighty percent (80%) of the total area. Efforts to resolve the matter through peaceful means had failed due to lack of impartial arbiter, which neutrally should be the state government.

“As a result, our property legally acquired over forty (40) years ago, covered by C of O No. BP1087 of 18/3/1975 has now been forcefully and illegally taken over by other persons through the support and connivance of some community leaders and dubious Local Government Officials who had fraudulently issued customary titles to some of the illegal developers,” the statement read in parts.

It said currently the Institution is operating at a temporary site which is not conducive for learning activities as a result it is operating both morning and afternoon sessions.It implored the government to use its; “constitutional powers to evacuate the current illegal occupants of the site so that our students can resume learning activities on the permanent site.

”It respectfully remind the Governor on the need for wise counsel in the exercise of his discretionary powers to issue C of O, bearing in mind cases of areas where there is illegal seizure of land, such as the Sardauna Memorial College, adding that it have no doubt in the integrity, impartiality and commitment to justice of Lalong; “but we believe he should be wary of dubious officials who are colluding with trouble makers bent on drawing the hands of the clock back in his Government’s efforts to consolidate the peace in Plateau State and ensure justice, fairness and equity for all.

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