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What Happened Between Developer And Me Who Claimed I Was Anti-Igbo – Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained how a land developer in Abuja who accused him of being anti-Igbo allegedly abused him via text messages.
Wike stated that the Federal Capital Territory will take a new phase and will no longer be conducive for those with the intention of deceiving the government with land developer identities.
The minister, in an interview granted to a group of journalists recently, said in the text message which he described as insulting, the land developer claimed that he vowed to deal with the Igbos.
The minister said, “In his text, he said, ‘You said you want to deal with the Igbos.’
“Imagine such a blackmail. The land we are talking about, did he give it to the Igbos? How can you think you are too smart to tell the public that I said I will deal with the Igbos and people can sit down and listen to such a thing?”
He stated that land grabbers present themselves as developers to the government with deceptive intentions.
Speaking on the lawsuits against the FCTA, he stressed that the suits against the FCTA were on before he assumed duties as the minister.
He added, “The problem in this country is impunity. ‘I’ve been doing it before and I’ll continue to do it and nothing will happen.’ Criminals are criminals, they may come in different ways. I’ve never seen land grabbing like in this FCT. Since I came in, there have been so many petitions.
One company called has over 10 petitions from different owners of properties. So, I summoned a meeting of all of them and they came with their lawyers who are senior advocates. I said look what is this? company A presented their own, company B presented their own, company C and company D Company and E did the same.
“I said okay I’m going to seek advice from external solicitors. I’m not going to take it from inside the house because the legal secretariat and land department have been so compromised. So, I sought the views of two very senior lawyers. They wrote to me with their opinions but arrived at the same thing.”
Wike explained that the land in question was allocated before he became the minister.
“First of all, what happened? This land that this so-called ethnic jingoist talked about was allocated when there was no minister. The minister left on May 29, 2023, and in June, the land was allocated by the Director of Lands.
These guys think they too are clever. We met and said to Company B, don’t do anything again until we are able to make a final decision. Do you know what happened? These guys, thinking they were too smart, went on trying to fence and allocate the land to people to buy.
“How did I know? a lady came and said look honourable minister, I want you to advise me. There’s a place I want to buy land. I asked where and she named the area and I said no, we were having problems with it and I told her not to. Another time, the lady came back because she is a friend of mine and said people were buying and building. I said what?
“Then, I was going to commission the biggest water park that is Sunrise and it was in the same area. So, I commissioned the water park which was on a Friday and on the Thursday this same company and their allies went to court stopping me from commissioning the water park project and alligning with the FCT lawyer. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the injunction. I drove from that place, came back and called the general counsel to ask who was handling the case for FCT,” the minister said.
He said he then instructed the general counsel to call the external lawyer and get the file back.
He, however, stated that illegal activities would no longer be tolerated as due processes would be followed in acquiring land.
“As long as I am in this FCT, it will no longer be business as usual. If you ask for land, I will ask for your financial capacity and the duration within which you’ll develop the place. If the duration expires, FCT is entitled to take it back,” he stated.
Speaking on the legality of demolitions in FCT, he said the investors are not using the acquired lands for their investment that could generate revenue.
He said, “If you say you want to build a park that will create jobs and revenue is what they call investments. Not when you say the government gave me land, we want to build houses and the government gave you land, even when I know that it is an illegal allocation and you start allocating to individuals who are now buying from you and then building by themselves. And that has depreciated the initial intentions of allocating the land.”
On why FCT demolished the buildings instead of taking legal action on offenders, the minister said, “Judgments and orders do not come overnight. It won’t work. They are connected with the legal secretariat here. They can sack land administration.
“What happened was they asked the court to tell FCTA to return the land documents to them and the court said FCTA release their documents to show that you have titles to the land.”
In a document signed by the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola on September 21, 2023, the FCT minister ordered the revocation of about 165 plots of land over the violation and contravention of terms of development of the Rights of Occupancy, as contained in Section 28(5) (a) & (b) of the Land Use Act
This, however, led to outrage by affected and concerned Nigerians, calling for the withdrawal of the order.
An Abuja land owner, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Kamba, the minister, and the Director of Development Control to court for demolishing his building under construction at Plot 226, Cotonou Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja.
Despite the public outrage, the FCTA in October, vowed to take action against defiant landowners for tampering with land previously revoked by Wike’s order.
News
Rupture In PDP Governors’ Forum deepens
By Ojomah Austin.
The evolving fall-out, which comes barely days to the contentious National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP, followed a back and forth between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike and the Governors forum, who declared support for Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara to be made leader of the party in the state.
After a meeting with some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in Bauchi on Wednesday, Governor Mohammed, said “According to our party’s constitution, any leadership vacancy should be filled by someone from the region where it originated,” stressing that Damagum would be replaced soon considering that he hails from North East and not the North Central.
Same day, Makinde, during the groundbreaking of the upgrading of Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, to an international airport, which was attended by another set of NWC members, led by Damagum, said he would support whatever decision the Damagum-led NWC would take to reposition the party.
Damagum, who is considered a close ally of Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, was appointed acting national chairman after the removal of Iyorchia Ayu in June 2023.
Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the PDP led by Senator Adolph Wabara, met with members of the National Assembly caucus in Abuja.
The close door meeting comes barely hours after the BoT met with Wike in Abuja.
While Wabara refused to comment on the essence of the meeting with the lawmakers, it was noticed that most of the lawmakers didn’t honour the invitation.
News
Tears As Man Takes Own Life Over Tinubu’s Govt Hardship
By Mario Deepromoter
Sad development in Marika village, Kiyawa Local Government, Jigawa, where a 40-year-old man, Jibrin Adamu, committed suicide by hanging himself.
According to eyewitnesses, Adamu’s lifeless body was discovered in a classroom at Miftahul Khairat Islamiyya and Primary School Gurdiba on Thursday.
Police spokesperson DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations revealed Adamu had struggled with mental health issues.
“Police received a report on Thursday that at about 1830hrs, a tragic incident was reported at the Command headquarters that one Jibrin Adamu ‘m’ age 40yrs of Jigawar Maroka village, Kiyawa LGA has committed suicide by hanging himself over the ceiling at Islamiyya school,” the Police spokesperson told Daily Post.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP AT Abdullahi, has instructed officers to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
News
Just in: Dangote Petrol Now Available at N765.99 Per Litre
By Mario Deepromoter
11plc, Total Energies, AA Rano, and other marketers have begun lifting Dangote Petrol through Nigerian National Company (NNPC) Trading Limited for N765.99 to retail outlets nationwide.
Findings showed some petroleum marketers who were able to complete their payment process on the NNPC trading payment portal commenced the lifting of petrol earlier this week under the existing agreement between marketers and the refinery.
Tunji Oyebanji, managing director, 11Plc confirmed to BusinessDay on Thursday evening that some marketers have started lifting the products at N765.99 from Dangote Refinery through NNPC who remain the sole off-taker of product.
“We were among the first marketers to complete the payment on the NNPC portal. We have no direct arrangement with the refinery,” Oyebanji said.
It was gathered that NNPC Retail, 11plc, Total Energies, A.A Rano are among the marketers that have picked up products from the refinery.
He added, “We don’t know the contractual financial arrangement between NNPC and the refinery but what I can confirm is we are buying at N765.99 from NNPC to lift Dangote petrol”.
Efforts to get the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to confirm if its members have picked up products at the Dangote Refinery proved abortive at the time of writing this report.
See also Nigeria’s Petrol Landing Cost Revealed
Adedapo Segun, executive vice-president, downstream at NNPC said marketers cannot purchase petrol directly from the refinery because the product is still sold at a subsidised rate.
“That is the same thing happening with Dangote. I said earlier that Dangote is a company and it is going to sell at market price,” he told Journalists.
According to Segun, “The market value of PMS is still higher than what N766 or N765 or N799 that NNPC is selling.
“The situation has not changed there. So, NNPC’s off-taking is only because the others would not buy at the price Dangote will be willing to sell, which is reasonable.
“As soon as the price allows for it, you will see the marketers go to Dangote and buy.”
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