By Jane Okafor, Abuja
ABUJA: The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said that even if Heaven would fall, the resolve to demolish illegal structures in Abuja won’t be relaxed.
Wike who dismissed allegations of land grabbing against him by some residents of Abuja, pledged to enforce urban planning laws without fear or favour
The minister spoke on Thursday during the distribution of 50 operational vehicles to security agencies at the FCTA Secretariat, even as he defended the Federal Capital Development Authority’s (FCDA) actions, stressing that the demolition exercise targets properties built on government land without due process.
Wike said, “No amount of blackmail can stop us. People take government property without approval, without documents and I have told people that there was a government yesterday, the government did not take any step does not mean that another government will come today and will not take any step.
“The mere fact that nobody tried to tell you it is not right does not make it right. You cannot take blackmail to get something from government. You can’t.
“Recently, we told Julius Berger to quit from central business area. When the Julius Berger came to Abuja they asked for a site for them to do their construction. That site does not mean it belongs to the company. Julius Berger has finished their job. They have to quit the land.
“You cannot tell me if they give you a site because of your construction you finish, the land now turns to be your own. Is it possible? Show me the document that it belongs to you. I am not that kind of person you can think that you go on television and start saying you have lived on the land for over 20 years. And so what? You are a squatter.
“If you like, go and carry everybody. What is wrong is wrong.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja, we are not afraid of blackmail.
“There are so many land grabbers. Some of us have come to put our feet down. Let heaven fall. It is even better that heaven comes down now so that we would not be fasting again to go to heaven.”
The Daily Crucible reports that the FCTA has intensified efforts in recent times to pull down illegal developments in estates and informal settlements amid protests, citing security risks and encroachment on government land as reasons for the action.
“We would stop anybody who thinks they will take government land for whatever reason without formal approval.
“We would not look at your face. If you like, be a civil rights activist or a television personality. What is wrong is wrong; no amount of blackmail can stop us.” Wike said.
The Daily Crucible further reports that earlier, Wike’s aide, Lere Olayinka challenged those using the Social Media to circulate falsehood about their lands being grabbed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide genuine evidence that they owned such land.
Olayinka, who also cautioned self-appointed social media activists to be mindful of being used to promote false claims, said “The most reasonable thing for anyone to do is to find out from both sides before going public with any issue”
Referring to a recent video being circulated on a land located Life Camp, particularly Plot No. 2241, Gwarimpa District, Cadastral Zone C02, Abuja, the FCT Minister’s Spokesperson challenged those claiming ownership of the land to provide Right of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy granted by the FCTA.
Olayinka said; “A construction company, Paulosa Nigeria Limited occupied the land as a temporary office, under a Temporary Right of Occupancy arrangement granted in 1984 (40 years ago).
“For 36 years, the company occupied the land, built permanent structures on it and rented them out without any approval from the government.
“On November 18, 2020, after occupying the land for 36 years without approval, Paulosa Nigeria Limited applied to the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for the conversion of the Temporary Right of Occupancy to a Statutory Right of Occupancy.
“On February 1, 2023, approval was granted to Paulosa Nigeria Limited for a Statutory Right of Occupancy, subject to certain terms and conditions.
“Some of the terms and conditions are; payment of Ground Rent Per Square Meter Per Annum, which was N50K/m² from 2022 to 2023, amounting to N2,332,143; payment of Premium of N500/m², amounting to N11,660,715 and payment of Ground Rent from 1984 to 2021 (37 years), amounting to N43,144,645.
“However, for 20 months, Paulosa Nigeria Limited refused to comply with the terms and conditions for the approval.
“Consequent upon the failure of Paulosa Nigeria Limited to comply with the terms and conditions for approval granted for a Right of Occupancy on the said land, the approval was revoked on October 10, 2024, more than 20 months after it was given.
“From the above, it should be clear that Paulosa Nigeria Limited never at any time, owned the land.
“For instance, if a student who was offered an admission to a university, refused to pay the fees stipulated in the offer of admission, and fulfil other terms and conditions for the admission, can the student have any claim to the studentship of the university?”
While counseling those who are desirous of doing human rights activism to be mindful of being used to peddle falsehood, Olayinka said, “My advice to our social media emergency human rights advocates is that they should always endeavor to investigate claims by whoever that is seeking their service.
“For instance, if the person who took his time to do that video had taken a simple step of investigating further, he would have been well informed, such that he won’t be used to mislead the public.
“The other time, a certain character who went to school in the night to study Baseless Black-market Law, was on the social media, ranting that the FCT Minister grabbed someone’s land.
“If he had studied law properly, he would have taken the proper step of approaching relevant government agencies for information on the said land.
“Our online lawyer would have been properly schooled that when you get allocation for a recreation park, building a school and a church on the land is a clear contravention of the condition for which the land was allocated.”
