States’ properties risk demolition over railway land encroachment
Properties belonging to States and private individuals, adjudged to have encroached railway premises, will henceforth, risk demolition.
To this end, the management of Railway Property Management Company, a subsidiary of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has warned private individuals and public organisations, especially, state governments to liaise with railway management before developing properties along its corridor.
This, it said, is necessary to avoid future demolition of properties encroaching on railway land across the country.
Speaking on this development in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP on Monday, the managing director of Railway Property Management Company, Mr Timothy Zalanga, said the agency is embarking on public awareness campaign because some individuals and States have, out of ignorance, have encroached on railway land.
He noted that, presently, the management has entered into collaboration with the states that had encroached on railway land with a view to either address the challenge or regularize their documentation in order to avoid the wrath of the law.
Zalanga averred that the distance between the railway and land that can be developed according to the Railway Act differ from one environment to another, adding that, in some environments, it is 50ft from the rail line and in some others 100ft.
According to him, discussions are ongoing with some State governments, such as; Kaduna, Oyo and Federal Capital Territory with a view to addressing the problem of encroachment.
The company, he stressed, has identified railway properties, dotting the railway corridor with a view to put same into proper use.
“Unlike the past when the management of NRC leased land to private individuals and governments, the management of Railway Property Management company either invests directly in the construction of guest houses or collaborate with states to build guest houses and markets.
“Presently, we are building a guest house in Kaduna and markets in Port Harcourt and Kano respectively while the guest house in Lagos has been completed through direct investment,” he pointed out.
About The Author
