Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Monday narrated how he revoked the certificate of occupancy (C of O) of some plots of land allocated to Julius Berger, in the Katampe District of Abuja.
Wike was addressing the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, at the official Flag-Off Ceremony of the Design and Construction of 40 Judges’ Quarters at the nation’s capital.
The President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem was also in attendance at the event.
The former Rivers State Governor said that he revoked the land even after having a dinner with the managing director of Julius Berger.
“My Lord, let me bring to your notice. You have seen this land here. When we were looking for where to get land to build. I was driving around looking for empty land and I got here and saw this empty land,” he began.
“I saw the big post: ‘Julius Berger’. I didn’t talk. I called the director of lands (and asked him): who owns that land? And he said: Julius Berger. When was it allocated? He said about 15, 20 years ago. 15, 20 years ago? Nothing has been done? I didn’t bother.
“So, I invited the MD (Managing Director of) Julius Berger. He came and we had dinner. I didn’t talk about the land. The next day, he was in the office and he saw the revocation letter as a matter of public interest.
“He called me and said but I had dinner with you. I said yes; we had dinner but we didn’t discuss the land.
“How will the government allocate land for more than 20 years for organisations to develop and they did not develop it? Thank God they did not develop it and now we can have it.”
