The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai , on Monday stated that Nigerian Army headquarters, the Defence headquarters and the Ministry of Defence are not located in the right places.
Buratai, who appeared before the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory on alleged clash between the Nigerian Army and civilians over a Maitama extension allocation promised that the issue will be resolved amicably.
According to him: “Tthe Army headquarters, the Defence headquarters and the Ministry of Defence are not in the right places.
“If appropriate measures are put in place, we will be able to relocate to safer places for us to discharge our duties effectively.
“As regards the issue at hand, 238 hectares in Maitama extension, I want to concur and also acknowledge the position of the Minister of FCT.
“We have been talking and we would continue to talk until we find final solution to it.
“Finally, distinguished chairman, I want to tell you that the fight against Boko Haram insurgents is a matter of concern to everyone and what we are going to witness today at the burial ceremony (of Lieutenant Colonel Abu Ali and six others) should be an eye-opener.
“Although we have several cases of soldiers…
“At this point in time it calls for proper scrutiny because of the responses by individuals and indeed organisations to national defence and security issues.
“We must take the issue of defence and security very seriously so that collectively we would fight this insurgency to its final conclusion.”
In his remarks, the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, informed the committee that the former Minister, Adamu Ailero, who is now a serving senator, sold 238 hectares of land in Maitama extension to civilians during his administration as FCT minister.
According to Bello, the 238 hectares of land was originally allocated to the Nigerian Army in 1996, but some time in 2009, when Aliero was the FCT Minister, about 600 plots were re-allocated to some privileged civilians and retired military officers without any legal revocation of allocation made in 1996 when retired Lieutenant General Jeremiah Useni was the Minister.
He said: “I want to just mention that the area in contention was actually an area earmarked for the Nigerian Army under the Guards Brigade way back in 1996.
“The entire area in contention is about 246 hectares or thereabout.
“Sometime in 2009, plot allocations were made there and commitments were undertaken by the FCTA in terms of infrastructure.
“Allocated plots in that area from our records numbered about 600 plots, out of which Certificate of Occupancy have been issued to about 200.
“Payments of about N5.6 billion have been received aside commitment of about N9 billion billion already made in respect of providing infrastructure in the area out of estimated N23 billion.”
Bello appealed to the committee to give the FCT authority and the Army more time to resolve the problem, saying: “At the end of the day, we would be able to reach a solution to meet the needs of the military and of course ensure also those that were allocated plots in that area in terms of financial commitments do not lose their commitments.”
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