Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has threatened that henceforth the Federal Government might be forced to re-allocate projects elsewhere if any state government or community create unnecessary impediments in the allocation of land or access to such lands for federal projects.
This is even as he expressed regrets that the refusal to allocate lands for federal projects or the growing hostility by communities against contractors on site are hurting the interests of the very people governments are elected to serve.
The warning was contained in a statement released on Saturday and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
According to President Buhari, “the idea of chasing away contractors on site or making undue demands from them by local communities or the deliberate actions of state governments to frustrate the allocation of lands for federal projects is an antithesis of the people’s welfare.”
The president in a recent directive had requested ministers in his government to have the states clear all lingering land issues threatening federal projects under their supervision or have such projects moved to willing states where that becomes impossible.
Buhari regretted that some communities in the states are frustrating the siting of federal projects in their areas by making impossible demands for land compensation on contractors and even chasing them away from site where they are unable to meet up.
“To compound matters, contractors kept away from site often make further demands on payment whenever they return to site. By denying Federal Government lands for projects and creating unnecessary obstacles for the execution of these projects, it may be unfair to turn around and accuse the same Federal Government of marginalising people in terms of projects allocation,” he said.