Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has vowed to reclaim a parcel of land allocated to the FCT Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board (MPWB) encroached upon by other developers in Gwagwalada Area Council of the territory.
The minister who gave the assurance when the Director of the board, Malam Mohammed Nasiru Danmallam and other management staff took her round the disputed areas, described the encroachment as lawlessness and unacceptable by the administration. Aliyu said the essence of siting the pilgrims’ board in Gwagwalada was to decongest the city centre, in order to bring development to the satellite towns, and to also encourage other activities in rural communities as enshrined in the Abuja Master Plan.
A statement by the minister’s media aide, Austine Elemue, quoted the minister to have said that residential houses built on the land will be pulled down.
“This property is for the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and the Hajj Camp, hopefully the 2020 hajj operations will take place here, this is disheartening,” she said.