By: Valentine Adese (JP),
Comrade Steve Aluko Daniel, a Director in Civil Liberty Organization (CLO) and also a Public Commentator has advocated that, registration of landed properties in Plateau State is key in the fight against criminality and kidnappings in Plateau State and Nigeria at large.
Comrd Steve, who spoke as a guest in Bello Lukeman’s Talk Show on Unity FM in Jos, Plateau State, monitored by this medium said, it is necessary for citizens in Plateau State to key into the policy of the Plateau State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town Planning to secure their properties.
He said, “So, one of the ways forward is for the citizens to key into one of the policies of the Plateau State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town planning, on the issue of securing properties in the state.
“If you recall when kidnapping started in some states in the federation, strong notices and warnings were given to landlords not to accommodate criminals, else their properties would be pulled down.
“So, part of the policy that the Plateau State Government must put in place is the payment of Ground Rent, which the Ministry of Lands is asking the people to pay as a Civic Responsibility.
“This is also to tell the land owners and community leaders that, any community that hibernate any criminal element would have a price to pay.
“If somebody knows that he/she would lose his property, he would not be careless.
“The campaign to tell citizens to pay their Ground Rent and secure their property is a welcome development. We know for a fact that, on the Plateau, people have continued to have properties the government cannot really account for, especially their uses.
“People should therefore do the needful as the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town planning is asking them to do and help the government also tie it to security.
“The government has said they are reducing 50%, but beyond the 50%, the process should be more open. I also love the way the Ministry has engaged other critical agents in the society.
“However, these processes must be linked to security of lives and property.
“If government and the people don’t know who owns what in the communities, it would enable criminals bring blood money and buy these lands and many other things that would turn back to harm society.
On the security situation currently been experienced in the state, Aluko opined that, “We must condemn the act of any form of criminality in Plateau and Nigeria at large.
“It does not matter who is involved, these happenings must be profiled, while we guide against any form of generalization. This is to enable the fight against elements causing insecurity a collective one.
“It is really unfortunately when people want to run away from the hands of justice in other states and zones, they run to Plateau state especially, the Barkinladi axes. I am therefore happy with what the security operatives are currently doing there and I so commend them.
“We at this junction should start thinking of a security architecture that would take care of the rural areas of Plateau State, with these observed developments.
“To my mind, it is because of lack of pro-activeness that we may have gotten ourselves to this point.
“When there was a jail break in Jos, towards the end of last year, a lot of us were alarmed yet, we have not been able to do enough profiling and arrests on the matter to date.
So, I still maintain that, one of the ways forward is for the citizens to key into one of the policies of the Plateau State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town planning, on the issue of securing properties in the state”.
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