By Ogalah Ibrahim
The Katsina State Government has successfully recovered landed properties valued at over ₦10 billion, nearly 38 years after the state was carved out from the former Kaduna State.
Dr. Lawal Aminu Bala, General Manager of the Katsina State Assets Management Agency, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists in Katsina.
He explained that the recovered assets include 37 houses and several parcels of land located in Abuja, Kaduna, and Zaria, which rightfully belong to Katsina State under the assets and liabilities sharing arrangement established at the time of its creation in 1987.
Dr. Bala said the recovery followed a government directive to identify, trace, and reclaim all state-owned assets, leading to the formation of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamma Nasir.
The committee relied on official documents detailing the asset-sharing formula between the former Kaduna State and Katsina State. These documents revealed that some properties allocated to Katsina had been illegally occupied, encroached upon by federal agencies, or left abandoned over the years.
He noted that collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of Lands and Survey facilitated the successful recovery. Additionally, some federal agencies occupying about 15 hectares of Katsina land in Abuja have agreed to pay compensation to the state.
Dr. Bala affirmed that the government remains committed to recovering all its properties, emphasizing that public assets must be safeguarded in the interest of the people.
He also revealed plans to recruit asset surveillance officers across Katsina’s 361 wards to prevent vandalism and illegal takeover of public properties. Coordinators will be appointed at local government levels, while a state-level coordinator at the agency’s headquarters will oversee effective monitoring and coordination of the initiative.
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