The Senate on Thursday called on the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop ongoing property demolitions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This decision comes as the Senate established an ad-hoc committee to investigate the demolitions in the FCT, with a two-week deadline for reporting its findings.
The resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion by Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP – FCT), which was seconded by Senator Natasha Akpabio-Uduaghan (PDP – Kogi Central).
The ad-hoc committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, includes members such as Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Yisa Ashiru, Chief Whip Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule, and Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe.
According to the Senate President, the committee has two weeks to submit its report.
Akpabio while reading the resolution of the Senate, said: “The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdictions, until the Adhoc Committee constituted by the Senate to ascertain the propriety or otherwise of the exercise concludes its investigation and interface with the FCT administration within the next two weeks.”
Kingibe in her lead debate said that in recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT was no longer based on reasons that necessitated the demolition.
She urged the Senate to be further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT was not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“As such, a cross-section of individuals had suffered untold hardships occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.
“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by name of Messrs Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor 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,” Kingibe said.
She urged the Senate to accordingly resolve to urge the FCT administration to halt the ongoing revocation and demolition of the said property, “as it does not fall within the purview of the reasons for the massive demolition being carried by the FCDA.”
She also advocated that all demolitions should follow due process.
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She urged the Senate to set up a committee to investigate the matters arising from the demolition.
However, Senator Karimi Sunday (APC – Kogi West) in his contribution said the Senate needs to hear from the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, before ordering a halt to the demolitions.
“If you look at this motion, the presenter said, a specific land allocation was mentioned belonging to one Paul Ogbebor.
“We don’t know anything about this thing and we are just coming because of this to tell the minister to stop?
“There is a need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. But we have to hear before we say stop the demolition.
“Let’s hear from the Minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back. We need to hear from the Minister,” Karimi said.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire, however, disagreed with Karimi.
He said that the request that the Senate should call on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions was in order.
Adegbonmire said: “Mr. President, with respect I disagree with Mr. Karimi. I think we need to be fair to everyone. There is before us an allegation that says certain steps are to be taken which will culminate in demolition. Are we saying that we should allow the place to be demolished while we are trying to look into it?
“My own view is simple. We should tell him to stop and as Senator Natasha has said, start the investigation so that there is a level playing ground.
“Are we not going to investigate unless we find that the minister has done something wrong but he has then demolished? I don’t think that is fair. I think what is fair is to say stop the situation today and let us investigate,” Adegbonmire who chairs the senate committee of judiciary said.
In his response, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio said: “Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary and legal matters, my thought is in line with yours. If we just say, continue the demolition, and then we start an investigation, what are we then investigating?
“In fact, I think at the end of the day, the res would have been buried. It will no longer be our ‘wahala’. It will now be the problem of the courts because the owners will have to go to court to go and claim compensation for doing that.
“So, it’s not the same. I think what she’s saying, when we look into the prayers, will be that we should urge the minister to put a hold on the demolitions and then we set up a committee to investigate.
“I think that should be the best thing and then that committee will now invite the minister and the other people, they will come and explain.
“Because we want to be sure that they are following the proper procedure and that the demolitions are not personal. It’s important for us to satisfy ourselves that demolitions are in the best interest of Nigerians.”
Akpabio thereafter read the resolution of the Senate calling on the FCT minister to halt further demolitions of property in the FCT pending the investigative report of its Adhoc Committee chaired by the Deputy Senate President.