From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has pledged to recover all lands forcibly taken from their rightful owners. He also committed to halting illegal land acquisitions and streamlining land administration in the state.
Speaking after receiving reports from committees on the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and land administration at Little Rayfield in Jos, Mutfwang emphasised that his administration will enforce the anti-land-grabbing law passed by his predecessor, Senator Simon Lalong. He stated that occupying another person’s land without proper procedures is uncultured and unacceptable.
“Let me remind everyone that the Lalong administration enacted an anti-land-grabbing law. We are looking at how to enforce the laws. People cannot just see a piece of land and occupy it. There is no vacant land anywhere in the world; somebody has a claim on it, and we are not going to allow that to happen,” he said.
Mutfwang assured that the government will simplify legal land acquisition processes but stressed, “Please don’t just go and occupy land as if it’s no man’s land. It is not right.” He promised that the reports would be studied carefully to realign land administration processes, ensuring they do not gather dust.
The governor highlighted the ongoing displacement crisis, noting that some communities have been taken over. “When I went on air to say that some communities had been taken over, I was castigated as a liar. I’m glad that your report is going to vindicate us,” he said, referencing statistics that document these issues. He invited critics to verify claims, stating, “Facts don’t lie.”
He stressed the emotional toll of displacement, saying, “Nobody wants his life fractured and dislocated. The reason why we still go back to our villages is because there is an emotional attachment, which is part of the quality of our lives.”
Earlier, Air Commodore Christopher Pam, chairman of the committee, recommended deploying military, police, and community-based vigilante forces in volatile areas and constructing 14 new mini-barracks or outposts to enhance security.
On land administration, Mutfwang condemned unauthorised occupation of government lands. He noted that a task force is already recovering state assets illegally held by individuals. “We’re going to ensure that your report and some of the recoveries of the task force are brought into sync so that we can properly document what belongs to government,” he said.
He also outlined plans to involve the private sector to unlock the value of government estates, many of which are in poor condition. “Some of the estates that government built are looking like refugee camps. We have to bring in the private sector to see how we can unlock the values in those assets and make sure that it is a win-win situation for the government,” he added.