Gombe – The Gombe State Committee for the Recovery of Government Layouts on Friday pledged to restore the original plan of Gombe, the capital city.
Alhaji Shehu Durbi, Chairman of the committee, former Commissioner for Lands and Survey, gave the pledge in an interview with newsmen in Gombe.
He said the committee had been charged with reclaiming government plots from private individuals and organisations that acquired them illegally.
According to him, those who acquired them genuinely have no problem as the committee would ensure that the original owners of the layouts were given their right.
Durbi said the committee would start reclaiming the plots from Gombe Development Plan 16 (GDP16) Layout.
“The layout was properly planned before they were distributed. Some miscreants took advantage of the layouts and sold them to people just like that.
“There are some layouts that were encroached upon and they are GDP16A/B behind Federal Teaching Hospital; GDP20 ; GDP4/4A; GDP12; GDP27 and GDP28”, he said.
Durbi added that the problem of GDP16 was caused by the residents of Shongo village who sold out their farm lands and later encroached on government layout in the area.
He said the layout was designated as Forest Reserve in 1960s.
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“By doing that, they are challenging the authority of government because all lands belong to government.
“And there is a law passed during Habu Hashidu administration designating Gombe town as urban centre with 15 kilometers radius. In that range, nobody has right to give out land except government and the GDPs are within that land”, he said.
He said if it was allowed to continue that way, it would create a lot of problems in the state. (NAN)
