From Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has received the final reports of two crucial committees—Task Force on Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Committee on Land Administration—marking a decisive step toward restoring displaced communities and reforming land governance in the state.
At a ceremony held Tuesday at the Government House, Little Rayfield, the Committee on Land Administration, chaired by Barr. Isaac Dimka, presented a comprehensive 167-page report. The report outlined key recommendations, including the urgent development of a new Greater Jos Master Plan, the passage and domestication of the Urban and Regional Planning Laws of the Federation, and enforcement of Plateau High Court judgments in long-standing land cases.
Dimka stressed the need to combat rampant land grabbing and restore public trust in land administration. He noted the extensive public consultations conducted and challenges uncovered during the committee’s assignment.
Responding, Governor Mutfwang commended both committees for their dedication and vowed that the reports “will not gather dust.” He assured that actionable recommendations would be studied and implemented, with private sector involvement in reviving abandoned government housing estates.
The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the safe and dignified return of IDPs to their ancestral homes, following decades of displacement due to terrorist attacks. He described the resettlement report as a “critical milestone” and promised to present it to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure federal support for its execution.
The Resettlement Task Force, inaugurated in March 2024 and led by Air Commodore Christopher Pam (rtd), recommended a phased return of IDPs with sufficient security arrangements and reconstruction materials to rebuild homes and public infrastructure. Governor Mutfwang applauded the committee for risking their lives by visiting volatile areas to complete their work.
“Some communities have been taken over, and I was vilified for saying so publicly. Today, this report vindicates that assertion,” he noted.
The Governor also expressed alarm at the widespread corruption in the land sector. He revealed that several government officials were involved in illegal land sales and diversion of proceeds. “We have paid billions in compensation for the same land parcels due to missing or manipulated records,” he lamented.
He criticized some retired civil servants for deliberately withholding documents, further complicating land recovery efforts. A separate task force is now working to retrieve misappropriated public assets, with Governor Mutfwang urging whistleblowers to come forward for the sake of the state’s future.
Highlighting the administrative decay, the Governor revealed that over 90 percent of buildings in Jos lack valid titles or development permits. He warned that if this trend continues, the capital risks becoming a “glorified slum.”
“We will no longer tolerate lawlessness,” Mutfwang declared, announcing that enforcement will soon begin and urging illegal developers to regularize their properties without viewing the action as oppression.
To reform the system, the government is digitizing land records and upgrading the Geographic Information System (GIS), allowing residents to apply for Certificates of Occupancy and land titles online.
Governor Mutfwang concluded by reaffirming the enforcement of the Anti-Land Grabbing Law, emphasizing that every plot of land in Plateau State is protected by law and belongs to someone.