Railway property management coy to secure its properties nationwide

A property/tenant audit has began in Kaduna, to fish out all illegal occupants of railway lands nationwide by the Railway Property Management Company Limited (RPMC).

The RPMC, is a subsidiary of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

It is  saddled with the responsibility of managing all lands and landed assets of the NRC.

RPMC is finalising its computerised Property and Tenant Register to ascertain the number of properties and tenants under its purview for effective management.

Mr Timothy Zalanga, the Managing Director of the RPMC, while addressing newsmen in Kaduna, said a task force has been set up by the management of the company to carry out the audit.

The task force is expected to cover Kaduna and environs as the pilot exercise before embarking on other States of the Federation.

The exercise is expected to drive the company’s plan for a real time interactive Land Management System on a digital platform, he said.

However, he warned those claiming ownership of railway lands and landed properties to desist from such claims.

Zalanga called on members of the public who are illegally occupying railway lands and landed properties to regularise their stay or risk ejection.

Also, he called on allottees of railway lands to settle their rental obligations, while also calling on all those performing businesses along railway corridors to seek for clearance or risk ejection.

Any illegal transfer of railway land or property to third parties will equally face revocation of allocation, he said

Furthermore, he said that as enshrined in the land use act, any land that is not in the hands of state government before the advent of the act, still remains with the Federal Government.

However, he explained that for the purpose of building new rail line, as they are doing from Kaduna to Kano, the railway would, and had acquired new rail lines from the State Government, and translate it to be under the purview of the State Government.

Some weeks ago, a conference was organied for directors of lands nationwide by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing where issues of land ownership was particularly addressed and they were educated on who owns a land and from what period.

The land use act (1978), already states that any land owned by the Federal Government, its Agency of parastatal, enactment of the act shall not be affected by the act, it is exempted completely, said Zalanga.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),  prior to the news briefing, the company visited Birnin Yero, Kakuri, Monday Market, Abakpwa, Ts’aunin Kura, /Sabon Tasha, and Television Garage all in Kaduna, where they have property and lands.