The Director-General of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), Dr. Bashir Garba Ibrahim, has said that the agency has succeeded in eliminating fraudulent practices through the various reforms he introduced.
He stated this today in his office when he received the members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna Chapel, who were on a courtesy visit.
In his address, Ibrahim highlighted several key reforms and achievements made by the agency under the current administration.
He stated that the agency has undergone a major restructuring aimed at eliminating fraudulent practices, particularly in the area of compensation.
According to him, in addition to the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani’s approval of a new compensation formula in place, the management has also introduced a new software system that ensures transparency and accountability.
The system captures biometric data including thumbprints, National Identification Numbers (NIN), and photographs of beneficiaries, thus streamlining the compensation process.
He further disclosed that KADGIS has resolved numerous land-related disputes, recovering over 40 plots of land from illegal acquisition and land swapping.
He emphasised the successful implementation of the Integrated Development Plan, which has since been approved by the governor of which existing communities in a new layout or any government-owned land will now be incorporated into the new layout through the integrated plan.
The DG also announced a 20% discount policy for payment of outstanding bills in advance, which has significantly improved customer service.
He revealed that in the last two years, KADGIS has resolved over 700 land dispute cases, and on a daily basis, the agency continues to address more.
Ibrahim further stated that Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) are now being issued within 20 hours of application, with over 200 certificates processed weekly.
He added that recently, uncollected certificates dating back to 2016 have been released.
However, he warned that any layouts not approved by KADGIS are considered illegal and urged citizens to visit the agency for proper verification before acquiring any land.
While acknowledging several key officers for their outstanding contributions towards the current achievement attained by the service, the DG attributed the agency’s success to the collective efforts of its entire workforce.
Ibrahim thanked the FRCN Chapel for the visit and further proposed a strategic partnership between them and KADGIS through the Public Relations unit, aimed at ensuring accurate dissemination of land related information to the public.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the chapel, Malam Umar Adamu S. Fada, applauded the DG and the entire staff of the service for the swift issuance of C of Os and the transparency in compensation processes through the newly introduced compensation software.
He noted that if such reforms had been in place under previous administrations, many lingering land issues would have been resolved earlier.
He also welcomed the idea of the partnership and expressed the union’s willingness to collaborate with the agency’s PR unit for effective communication.
The FRCN Chapel offered to support the service to leverage on their station’s programmes to engage with the public more directly to provide more information and clarity on land matters in state.
