Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to revoke the titles issued to property owners in the FCT yet to pay ground rents.
He also warned construction companies in the territory against land grabbing.
Also on Thursday, Senate advised Wike to halt ongoing demolitions of properties in the FCT.
The minister, while presenting 50 Hilux vehicles to security agencies in the FCT, said it was inexplicable that some property owners in the territory were not ready to pay ground rents despite several notices being served on them.
He also said that it was funny that some construction companies that were permitted to use some plots of land to house their equipment now believe that they own the plots.
Wike stated that he would not be moved by sentiments or blackmail in his bid to get those who have yet to pay ground rent to do what is necessary and to retrieve all plots of land being used illegally by construction companies in the FCT.
He revealed that construction giant, Julius Berger, was recently asked to quit a site it was permitted to use for construction in the Abuja Central Business District.
The minister was reacting to the controversy trailing his decision to revoke a plot of land in which a Niger Delta activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has an interest.
He challenged anyone laying claim to land that has been revoked to produce documents to back their claims.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja that we are not afraid of blackmail.
‘’ Some of us have come to put our foot down. We will stop anybody who thinks that they can obtain government land without formal approval. We will not look at their face.
“If you like, you can be a civil rights activist. If you like, you can be a television talker. What is wrong is wrong.
“You go behind to ask people to beg me and then you go on television to tell people that we came to take your land.
‘’ If you want land, you know the right thing to do. You know the right step to take. Through blackmail, you won’t get it.
“No amount of blackmail can stop us. People take government property without approval, without documents. I tell people that the fact that the government yesterday did not take any step does not mean that the government of today will not take a step.
‘’Even if this government does not today, tomorrow another government will do.
‘’That you did something 15 years ago does not mean it is right. You cannot take blackmail to get something from the government.
‘’Recently, we told Julius Berger to quit the Central Business District. When Julius Berger came to Abuja, they asked for a site for them to do their construction. That site does not mean it belongs to Julius Berger. Julius Berger has finished their job. They have to quit the land.
“I am not the kind of person you can think you will shake when you go on television and 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.’’
In what appeared a direct reference to Lori-Ogbebor, Wike said: ‘’If you have a problem, come to us. We will know how to solve the problem.
‘’Let anybody tell them to bring their documents to show that the property is theirs.
‘’ I have published those involved in newspapers to show that we are not joking.”
But at its plenary yesterday, the Senate called on the minister to stop further demolitions in the FCT pending the outcome of a probe by its ad hoc committee.
The committee chaired by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin was constituted after contributions by members to a motion sponsored by Senator Ireti Kingibe. Senator Natasha Akpabio-Uduaghan seconded the motion.
The committee which has Deputy Senate Leader Yisa Ashiru; Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno; Yahaya Abdullahi, Sahabi Ya’u, Victor Umeh, Jimoh Ibrahim, Idiat Adebule, and Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as members has two weeks to complete its assignment.
Kingibe had in her lead debate, said that in recent times, the demolitions in the FCT were no longer based on reasons that necessitated them.
She said: “A cross-section of individuals has suffered untold hardship occasioned by massive demolitions, which have led to loss of properties worth billions of naira.
“At the moment, an Estate – Messrs Paulosa – for which the late Col. Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor, is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition.
“ And from reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with the requisite title document.
“The owner of the estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, with registration Number 001. ”
She urged the Senate to request the FCDA to halt the revocation and demolition of the said property, “as it does not fall within the purview of the reasons for the massive demolition being carried by the FCDA.”
The Senator advocated that all demolitions should follow due process.
However, Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) said the Senate needed to hear from FCT Minister Wike, before ordering a halt to the demolitions.
He said: “If you look at this motion, the presenter said, a specific land allocation was mentioned belonging to one Paul Ogbebor.
“We don’t know anything about this thing and we are just coming because of this to tell the minister to stop?”
“There is a need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. But we have to hear before we say stop the demolition.
“Let’s hear from the Minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back. We need to hear from the Minister.’’
Akpabio thereafter read the resolution of the Senate calling on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions of properties in the FCT.
The resolution reads partly: “The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdictions, until the Ad hoc committee constituted by the Senate to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the exercise concludes its investigation and interfaced with the Federal Capital Territory Administration within the next two weeks.”
