By Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammad Bello has directed the stoppage of illegal construction work on a piece of land allocated to the Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela in Abuja.
He gave the directive following a complaint from the Venezuelan government, which was delivered by a three-man delegation, when they visited the minister in his office.
The delegation had complained that the piece of land allocated to the embassy in Abuja in 1991 was illegally sold out to a private company by the former Head of Chancery at the embassy.
Bello explained that the records of the FCT Administration show that the land in question remained that of the embassy as the law does not permit the endorsement of sale of land belonging to a country to a private company or individual.S
A statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s Special Assistant (Media), Abubakar Sani, said: “Information in the files indicate that some officials of your embassy brought documents in August, 2018, for registration and transfer of title. But the FCT Administration cannot transfer land title from a country to a private company.”
The minister noted that Nigeria and Venezuela enjoy a very strong and friendly diplomatic relationship, “which is highly cherished”.
He assured the delegation that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the restoration of the land to its original status.
Leader of the delegation, Mr. Konrath Moreno, Director-General of Legal Consultancy in the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the purported sale of the land was not authorised by his government. He, therefore, appealed to the minister to help in the recovery of the land, which is meant for the building of a Diplomatic residence.
Other members of the delegation include the Ambassador David Velasquez, Mrs. Marisol Awarado and a representative of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malam Abubakar Sani.
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