Abia Invalidates Non-recertified Land Titles, Withdraws Allocations in Govt Layouts

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
in Umuahia

Following the elapsing of the deadline and the grace period for recertification of land title documents, Abia State government has invalidated land and property titles whose owners failed to submit them for recertification.
It has also withdrawn allocations given to allottees in government layouts across the state for failing to develop the allotted plots.
Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumerije, announced the new developments while briefing journalists on the progress made so far in the recertification programme which commenced in May 2024.
“The ministry is now verifying documents that have been submitted so far and activated the invalidation of titles for transactions until they are recertified,” he said.
He listed the layouts where allocations “shall be withdrawn for default in the terms and conditions of the offers, to include Valley View Estate, Phases I and II. Other layouts affected are Public Servants’ (Cattle Lairage) Layout at Mgbarakuma, Mgbarakuma Mini-layout, and Mbaisii Layout.”
The Lands and Housing Commissioner stated that the Abia State Estate Development Agency (ABSEDA) under the supervision of his ministry was involved in the  recertification exercise in all its estates. These include the Ohobo Afara (Old Timber) Phases 1 and 2, Ohokobe Afara Phases 1 and 2 (Madonna and Ceramics).
The commissioner said that ABSEDA has also suspended all allocations in Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government and Nkpa in Bende LG.
He issued “a strong warning” to persons encroaching into estates of ABSEDA at Ogo-Nsukwe and Amibo Ubakala “to desist forthwith or face the law,” adding that anyone engaging in land transactions in the said estates was doing so at their own risks.
The land commissioner explained that the recertification exercise was initiated as part of efforts to clean up the mess in the state lands and housing records, adding that the process of transformation had already started.
In addition, Chukwumerije stated that the revocation of properties illegally acquired by individuals that served in previous administrations would be completed to pave the way for proper planning and cleaning up of the state’s land records.
According to him, the goal of bringing the innovations in the ministry was to achieve optimal management and administration in the land and housing system of the state.
He said that the recertification exercise which commenced in June aims to review and update land records, upgrade survey records from Nigeria/local origin to UTM, update payment of ground rents, and taxes, revalidation of allocation, as well as update the state’s social security number (ABSSIN).
Chukwumerije said that all property owners in Abia were adequately informed of the recertification exercise and were asked to submit their title documents to his ministry for revalidation.
However, he regretted that even with the grace period given to the allottees, some of them still failed to meet the deadline which ended on August 30, 2024.
For this reason, the commissioner made it clear that any title document not submitted for recertification would no longer be acceptable to the government.
On the controversial Ohobo Estate Umuahia alleged to have been acquired 10 years ago by a top politician in the country, Chukwumerije said that properties in the estate and others acquired in similar fashion have been revoked.
He stated that the revocations by the government were done in the overall interest of the people of Abia State.