ASSESSMENT OF LAND USE AND ALLOCATION COMMITTEE PERFORMANCE IN LAND ADMINISTRATION IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the performance of Land Use and Allocation Committee in land administration in Kogi State, Nigeria. The aim of this study is to assess the performance of Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC) in allocation of land in Kogi State with a view to provide information that will speed up accessibility to land in Kogi State. This study unveils that there was no constituted LUAC but mere management team, subjection of LUAC to the directive of the Honorable Commissioner of Lands – now Director General, land is less accessible in the study area and gives ideas on the way to ensuring smooth land acquisition and administration. Using simple random sampling techniques, 169 landlords/occupiers were selected respectively from the 4 selected Town Planning Schemes while 10 head of departments/units of Bureau of Land and Urban Development, Lokoja, 14 heads of practicing Estate Surveying and Valuation firms and 5 members of REDAN in Kogi State. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The perception of land users to the activities of LUAC in Kogi State is the constitutional roles of the Committee of settling disputes, determination of amount of compensation and advising the Governor on land matters are abandoned rather than mere allocation of land. Others include acquisition with little or no compensation, exploitative tendencies of the staff and members of LUAC, land acquisition without recourse to families and communal holdings, corruption and increase in lobbyist tendencies, high class domineering, double allocation syndrome and generally LUAC is referred to as land grabbers. Kruskal-Wallis test shows that there is significance difference (high and low chi-square values, i.e. P values < 0.05 and P values > 0.05)on factors hindering the performance of Land Use and Allocation Committee in the allocation of state land between landlords/occupiers, Estate Surveying and Valuation firms and the REDAN members in the of economic, cultural, political, institutional, land tenure system, land disputes and opportunities and risk factors, lack of modus operandi (Exclusive discretion of the Governor), improper classification of an area, governor’s unquestionable personage in the overall administration of land in the state and inadequacy of Estate Surveyors and Valuers as members of LUAC. It was suggested that a formidable, empowered and result – oriented Land Use and Allocation Committee should be constituted in the state to reduce such perceived administrative challenges which shall involve the composition of membership of LUAC to include at least not less than two persons possessing qualifications approved as Estate Surveyors or Land Officers who have had such qualification for not less than five (5) years and a Legal Practitioner, the required executive order, tenure and number of seating should be properly specified during legislation by the state house of assembly and LUAC should be fully subject to the directive of the Governor.