Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has refuted allegations of land grabbing against the FCT Administration.
Olayinka explained that some individuals in a video being circulated on social media have claimed that the FCTA has grabbed land belonging to a construction company.
He said that the said land is located in Life Camp, Plot 2241, Gwarinpa District, Cadastral Zone C02, Abuja.
In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, Olayinka challenged those circulating the falsehood about their lands being grabbed by the FCTA to provide Right of Occupancy (R of O) or Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) granted by the FCTA.
He explained that a construction company, Paulosa Nigeria Ltd occupied the land as a temporary office, under a temporary R of O granted in 1984, about 40 years ago.
He added that for 36 years, the company occupied the land, built permanent structures on it and rented them out without any approval from the government.
He said after occupying the land for 36 years without approval, the company on Nov.18, 2020, applied to the then Minister of the FCT for the conversion of the temporary R of O to a statutory R of O.
The spokesman said that on Feb. 1, 2023, approval was granted to the company for a statutory R of O, but subject to fulfilling certain terms and conditions.
He identified some of the terms and conditions as payment of Ground Rent per square meter per annum, which was N50,000 per square metre from 2022 to 2023, amounting to N2.33 million.
“The company was also asked to pay a premium of N500 per square metre, amounting to N11.66 million and payment of ground rent from 1984 to 2021 (37 years), amounting to N43.14 million.
“However, for 20 months, Paulosa Nigeria Ltd refused to comply with the terms and conditions for the approval.
“Upon the failure of the company to comply with the terms and conditions for approval granted for a R of O on the said land, the approval was revoked on October 10, 2024, more than 20 months after it was given.
“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?
“From the above, it should be clear that Paulosa Nigeria Ltd never at any time owned the land,” he said.
Olayinka advised agitators and self-acclaimed human rights activists to be mindful of being used to peddle falsehood.
He advised such persons to always endeavor to investigate claims by whoever sought for their service.
“For instance, if the person who took his time to do the video had taken a simple step to investigate further, he would have been well informed, and refused to be used to mislead the public.
“If he had studied law properly, he would have taken the proper step of approaching relevant government agencies for information on the said land,” he said.
The minister’s spokesman also complained of another unidentified person, a legal practitioner, who was also ranting on social media that Wike had equally grabbed someone’s land.
He pointed out that the person ought to have approached relevant government agencies for information on the said land.
“The 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,” Olayinka said.