Yakubu Busari
The Anaguta/Hausa community of Jos North Local Government Area in Plateau State government has signed a peace accord to end communal clashes of land dispute in the communities.
The two communities took far reaching measures in tackling the impending threats surrounding the communities living around Bauchi road in Jos North local government area of the state over land ownership.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held on Thursday at the hill station hotel, in Jos between occupants of the Naraguta area, representatives of the security apparatus and principal officers of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board, JMDB, Ministry of land survey and town planning, the state government expressed concern over the human hazard the environment is becoming due to uncoordinated erection of structures within the area.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the programme, permanent secretary in the ministry land, Survey and town planning, Bar. James Giwa and Council Chairman Mrs Theresa Azi in their separate views said the target of the meeting was to draw the attention of the occupants of the area of the half-hazard development in the area.
She said the meeting was also to keep the communities abreast of the government’s intention to seek their understanding and allow it to take their documentation so as to enable the government regularize all the papers to allow government make a proper layout of the area to a city standard.
Mrs Azi assured that in the cause of the process those whose houses are affected and have completed all the processes of acquiring land would be compensated.
Also speaking the community leader Hausa community Engr. Mansul Nakande said the decision of government to bring a constructive engagement in resolving the pending issues that were left unresolved by the previous government.
Mansur stresses the need for people to promote peaceful coexistence among them to end incessant killing.
He said the meeting became imperative because the security had raised an eyebrow that there was an issue where the Anaguta community were destroying some properties that are situated on the land they claimed they were not proper compensation.
“Rather than resorting to violence, we went there with the Anaguta and government said it is true they were not compensated so we plead with them that there is no need for them them to take laws into their hands and we sat down with all the stakeholders and said who’s ISA it that had property on this land and how did you acquire it, that is why we came about this regularization”.
Similarly, the deputy chief of staff to the governor, Bar. Yusuf Gambo Awaja said as a listening government when the issues came up they swift into action to enlighten the occupants of the land so that the matter does not escalates into chaos.
