By Kingston Magare
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has been ordered to stop further demolition of homes and revocation of deeds in Abuja pending the outcome of an investigation by an ad-hoc committee set up by the Senate Thursday.
The Senate passed a resolution following a motion moved by Ireti Kingibe representing the FCT. Wike had been accused of highhanded demolitions and land grabbing. Senator Kingibe said in her motion that the Senate must have to intervene since the exercise was assuming a dangerous dimension.
“The demolition in FCT is no longer in line with due process and that a cross section of individuals have suffered untold hardship occasioned by massive demolitions which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira,” Senator Kingibe noted in her motion.
“Note that the Federal Capital Administration, on the instruction of the Honorable Minister of Federal Capital Territory, embarked on massive demolition of structures within the Federal Capital Territory.
“Also note that the demolition, according to the FCT authority, was informed by illegal structures and non-development of allocated plots of land by the FCT administration.
“Concerned that in recent time, the demolition exercise in the FCT is no longer based on reasons adduced by the FCT administration that necessitated the demolition. Further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT is not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by name Merss Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa of Bebo, 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.
“And further concerned that the owner of this 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.”
After debate on the motion the Senate voted to half the demolition. Senate President Godswill Akpabio in his remark submitted that the government could be faced with lawsuits by aggrieved individuals affected by the demolitions. He said an investigation is neccesary to avoid unlawful destruction property and revocations of Certificate of Occupancies.
He constituted an ad-hoc committee headed by Senator Jibrin Barau to investigate the demolitions.
