The new Minister of Nigeria’s Capital Territory, Barr Nyesom Wike, has announced the revocation of certificate of occupancy of 165 landed properties in Abuja including a plot belonging to Mr Peter Obi, a former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party.
In a notice issued on Thursday by the FCT’s Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, the minister revoked the rights to the land because the owners failed to develop them.
Some of the lands belong to prominent Nigerians like Chief Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River State; Nigeria’s former Minister of National Planning, Udo Udoma; a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ufot Ekaette; a former Edo North Senator, Victor Oyofo; and the late publisher of the Leadership newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah.
Others are a former Supreme Court justice and Chairman of the 2005 National Conference, Niki Tobi; a former Attorney General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi; Chidinma, wife of a former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka; and Paul Nwabiukwu, media aide to the Director General of WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Aside from the politicians, there are also corporate entities that got their allocation revoked:
BUA’s allocation of plot 335 in Katampe was listed, Julius Berger Nigeria also lost plot 2217 in Katampe, while Honeywell Construction Limited lost plot 653 in Idu industrial area.
According to the notice, the name Peter Gregory Obi was listed as the allottee of plot 283 with file number AN65153 in Katampe.
The other affected lands are located in the high brow districts of Abuja such as Maitama, Gudu, Wuye which had the highest revocation with 41, Katampe Extension, Wuse 2, Jabi, Utako, Idu Industrial zone, and Asokoro which had the second highest revocation, 39.