Following a dispute over the ABU College of Agriculture and Animal Science’s alleged encroachment in the Mando part of the city, the Kaduna State Government says it would grant more land to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, near Kangimi village.
“It is strange that people who are supposedly out to protect institutional land will not exercise any curiosity regarding the unauthorized excisions that have occurred on the land or demand that their institution investigate how it happened.” Ismail Umaru Dikko, the Director-General, Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), told reporters in Kaduna.
According to the Director-General, most of G-Item 1060 remains undeveloped to this day, claiming that the whole region was a forest when the property was given in 1965, but that it is now an integral part of Kaduna city.
He went on to say that the entire region is being replanned in accordance with the Kaduna Master Plan Law of 2016, as well as the Urban Renewal Programme.
The replanning, according to Dikko, will keep the college, its academic buildings, dormitories, and staff housing on the present site, but with a revised land allocation that more accurately reflects the college’s real capacity to utilise the area.
He said that the college will be given land for agriculture in the Kangimi region, which had been designated for such purposes in the Kaduna Masterplan.
He said that the G-Item 1060, measuring 338 hectares, was allocated to Northern Veterinary Experimental Station in 1965, saying that the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, which succeeded the Northern Veterinary Experimental Station on the land, has developed 47 hectares which are being used for educational purposes and staff housing.
He added that the college is using another 34.5 hectares for agriculture, a significant part of the land, representing 24% of the entire G-Item 1060, saying that it has been illegally subdivided and sold.
The Director-General observed that consequent to this unlawful subdivision and excisions, about 900 plots have been illegally laid out on the land, with 426 plots either fully developed or at various stages of construction.
He explained that plots of land within the College Administrative and Staff Housing Area have also been sold, and private facilities such as an Event Centre, a Petrol Station and Private Residential Houses have been developed therein.
He further explained that the unlawful subdivisions, excisions and sales of plots were done without the consent or approval of the Kaduna State Government, pointing out that the actions constitute an unapproved change of land use and unacceptable violation of the purpose for which the G-Item was originally allocated.
Over the years, he explained that an unfortunate pattern has developed wherein officials of some federal agencies in the state violate the terms of allocation of the land issued to their organizations, stressing that these officials have unlawfully excised public land and reallocated for private purposes.
He added that the satellite images of the site show that the land allocated extends beyond the fence, and a physical inspection would further confirm this point, explaining that the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria statement tries to shrink G-Item 1060 from its 1965 size in a vain attempt to pretend that the portion illegally excised and subdivided were never part of the original allocation.
Dikko stated that this is the first time that KASUPDA has seen an instance where a landowner admits ownership of less than his full allocation, saying that these are the facts of the matter, as a campaign of blackmail by trade unions and management of the institution will neither alter the facts nor confer immunity for violations of the terms of land allocation.
While protesting the alleged take over of its land by the state government despite court order restraining the government or its agencies from doing so, the chairman of the ASUU ABU branch, Prof Haruna Jibril, had impressed on the Senate of the ABU to consider withdrawing the degree certificates awarded Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State as his many actions are in contravention of the requirements in character and learning deemed worthy of Ahmadu Bello University degree award.