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Tag: centenary

  • Court restrains minister, others from encroaching on Abuja Centenary City

    Court restrains minister, others from encroaching on Abuja Centenary City

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited from further encroaching on an expanse of land allocated to the Centenary Economic City Free Zone along Airport Road in Abuja.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order in a judgement on a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2130/2022 filed by Centenary Economic City Free Zone (CECFZ) and Centenary City Free Zone Company (CCFZC).

    Listed as defendants in the suit are the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (PFRN), the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; the Minister of the FCT, FCTA, FCDA and Arab Contractors.

    The Centenary City project was promoted while Goodluck Jonathan was the President and Anyim Pius Anyim was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The plaintiffs had accused the FCTA of aiding Arab Contractors to convert part of the land allocated to them to its (Arab Contractors) site yard, without of  authority and without the permission of NEPZA which has  regulatory powers over the land

    They added that Arab Contractors defaced and destroyed the master plan of the Centenary Economic City Free Zone and that Arab Contractors now endangers Federal Government’s assets and investments in the project with its conduct.

    Justice Ekwo, in the judgment delivered on February 6, a copy of which The Nation sighted on Monday, held that the plaintiffs effectively proved their case.

    The judge added that sufficiently established their case through the exhibits tendered and by the provisions of sections 5 (1) (a) and (b), (2), and (3) (a) and (b), 147, 148, 299 (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution;  sections 4, 8, 10 (1) and (2) and 13 of the NEPZA Act, and Section 19 of the FCT Act.

    Justice Ekwo said: “The plaintiffs are therefore entitled to the claims sought in this case, and I so hold.”

    The judge proceeded to issue an  order nullifying and setting aside in its entirety, all executive actions, steps, decisions, and administrative controls, including the forceful encroachment of the premises by Arab Contractors at the instructions of the minister, FCTA and FCDA without the prior consent of the plaintiffs and the overriding approval of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

    He said the encroachment contradicted Sections 4 and 13 of NEPZA Act Cap N107 LFN 2004, provisions of Section 5 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and therefore, was unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    Justice Ekwo issued an injunction restraining them from exercising any executive or regulatory control on the zone, “which occupies the Land, measuring 1,264.78 hectares with beacons coordinates: PB57-PB59, PB60-PB69, PB70-PB79, PB80PB89, PB90-PB99 and PB1000-PB104, located at Airport Road, Wawa District, Cadastral Zone E24, FCT, Abuja.”

    He further issued an order directing Arab Contractors to immediately vacate the portion of the Centenary Economic City Free Zone, which it illegally occupies at the instructions of the 5th, 6th and 7th defendants (Minister of the FCT, FCTA, FCDA and Arab Contractors) against the provisions of Sections 4 and 13 of NEPZA Act, without the express approval of the NEPZA,” he added.

    The judge also ordered Arab Contractors to pay to the plaintiffs, the sum of N100 million only for the forceful invasion and destruction of the plaintiffs’ master plan of the zone, designed by Eagle Hills Properties LLC of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at a cost of 35 million dollars.

    Justice Ekwo equally ordered Arabs Contractors to pay N50million as general damages and N5 million as cost of the suit to the plaintiffs.

    Also, Justice Ekwo ordered an interest on the entire judgment sum at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, commencing from the time of the delivery of the judgment till the entire judgment sum is fully liquidated by construction firm.

    Read Also: Why we cannot sell cement below N7,000, by Dangote, Bua, Lafargea

    CCFZC’s Managing Director, Ikechukwu Odenigwe, in a supporting affidavit, explained why his company surd.

    Odenigwe stated that CECFZ was licensed as a Free Zone, under NEPZA on September 10, 2014, while CCFZC was licensed as a Free Trade Zone Company on October 10, 2014, during the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government.

    Odenigwe added that on December 5, 2022, the Centenary City Project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    He said: “Pursuant to the centenary celebration, the Centenary City Pic, a real estate development and investment company was established on April, 2013.

    “Land measuring 1,264.78 hectares was allocated to Centenary City Pic., for the development of the Centenary City in the FCT, following a development agreement entered with the FCTA.”

     Odenigwe said the recommendation made by the the Minister of Trade for the designation of 1,264.78 hectares of land at Wawa District, as the Centenary Economic City Free Zone, FCT, Abuja, was approved by the Presidency.

    He added: “The said approval was also communicated to the Managing Director, Centenary City Plc., via a letter dated 16th September, 2014.

    “Upon the fulfilment of statutory requirements, a certificate was issued by the NEPZA, licensing Centenary Economic City as a Free Zone.

    “The 2nd plaintiff (CCFZC) was also issued an operating license,” he said, adding the Centenary Economic City Free Zone was designed by Eagles Hills Properties LLC.

    Odenigwe claimed that despite its lack of authority and without the permission of NEPZA, which had the regulatory power, the FCTA asked Arab Contractors to convert parts of the Free Zone land to their site yard.

  • Celebrating centenary of the birth of former leader of teachers

    But for his death, Chief David Opeyemi Adetunmbi, a renowned teacher and community leader, would have clocked 100 years this year. In celebrating the posthumous centenary of his birth, his son, Seye Adetunmbi writes on his life and time.

    Chief David Opeyemi Adetunmbi attended the national congress of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Port Harcourt as the head of delegates of the old Ondo-State. The position of 1st Vice-President was zoned to the Western Nigeria and the two candidates from Oyo and Ogun could not agree. There was crisis at the national convention; he intervened in his usual leadership character. He appealed to the warring contestants and advised them on how imperative for them to be able to reach a common understanding, after all they were fellow Yoruba brothers and he quietly went back to his seat. Thereafter, the delegates said that the “apostle of harmony” who resolved the differences was the person they wanted to occupy the leadership position. After several persuasions he humbly accepted their request and was elected the 1st National Vice-President of NUT in 1976.

    Also after executing a project for the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Benin-Owena River Basing Development Authority at the instance of his community, his payment was protracted which involved travelling from Ekiti to Benin-City several times. The project brought him more headaches than gain; when the balance due to him was paid, it came with an over-payment. Naturally, he returned the excess of an over payment to the purse of Federal Government of Nigeria. The accountant said to him: “Baba why didn’t you go home with your cheque? “I won’t be able to sleep”; Baba responded. After the Benin-Owena River Basin Authority official got to know that the old man who returned the cheque was an Ekiti man, he said; “no wonder”.

    Ekiti Anglican Diocese saw him as someone who did the nation and indeed Ekiti people proud for his rare exhibition of honesty. It was a special commendation, with gifts of one Holy Bible and a wrist watch from Ekiti Diocese at the synod held in Aisegba-Ekiti in 1981 which was presented to him by the then Diocesan, Most Reverend Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye. His virtues were extolled as honesty and integrity personified. To him, his action was the norm; though considered unusual in an environment where the custodians of the national treasury are the ones stealing from the commonwealth with impunity and get away with it because no proper records are kept in a terribly corrupt system.

    This is about a man who stood out by doing the simplest things which anybody could achieve if only the person applies his/her mind to it conscientiously. When someone we love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Certainly, Chief David Opeyemi Adetunmbi a.k.a. Baba; left behind treasures for his family, honourable associates, colleagues and other ranks of loved ones. Apparently, Chief D.O. Adetunmbi (DOA) sought to please God in the conduct of his life by doing well before man and God through the grace of His lord and Saviour. His major tool for achieving this was grounded in the guided principles of a good sense of justice and expression of love to those he came across with an arresting humility. “Mo ri o i yo” (delighted seeing you) was his signature greeting in Ekiti dialect with an infectious deep sincere smile.

    The state of Baba in his elements often warmed the soul of the encountered person such that one may have no choice than to melt on the inside. That was vintage and venerable him for you. His lifetime was a kind of golden moments of an unending story. His transition then, hurt his loved ones understandably because they wanted to enjoy his presence with them for as long as possible. Indeed his memory had turned out to evoke joys for his children and many who appreciated him. This is consequent to the buried seed of awesomeness of his exemplary character covered with freshly turned earth in 1990 which had sprung up luxuriant vegetation that is boisterous, to God is the glory. Certainly, no matter the odds, it pays to serve God, for truth always triumphs.

    Chief David Opeyemi Adetunmbi was a native of Ifaki-Ekiti and was born on July 12, 1919. He lost his mother as a toddler and was brought up by his grandmother. His father was one of the early persecuted Christians in Ifaki-Ekiti. He was baptized at St. Michael Anglican Church Ifaki-Ekiti on the 8th of March 1931. He had his primary education at St Michael’s Anglican Infantry School, Ifaki-Ekiti in 1931 to 1935 and was among the early set of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti in 1936 to 1937.

    The chief attended Ondo Boys High School, Ondo in 1944 to 1945 and through correspondence, he passed Cambridge School Certificate. He obtained Diploma in Education from University of Ibadan in 1960. DOA started his working career as a pupil teacher in 1937 at Igbara Odo-Ekiti. He later worked at Ilorin, Offa and became Headmaster of Central Primary School, Oke-Opin in 1954. He was one of the pioneer teachers of Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti in 1955. On invitation of his kinsmen, he co-started Ifaki Grammar School where he served meritoriously from 1957 to 1975 as the Senior Tutor. He retired at All Saints Teachers College, Usi-Ekiti in 1979 as a Head of Department.

    Activities of Chief Adetunmbi as a keen church man included being a member of the old Ondo Anglican Diocesan Synod. He served in the old Ekiti Archdeaconry under Archdeacon M. A. Osanyin who was later consecrated as the first Bishop of Ekiti Anglican Diocese. He worked with other notable laity for the establishment of Ekiti Anglican Diocese in 1966. The sole internal auditor for the old Ekiti Anglican Diocese for about 15 years in gratis, going round the churches where there were problems on church finances and other irregularities in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He served as a Bishop’s nominee to the Ekiti Anglican Diocesan Synod until his transition. The Baba Ijo of St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ifaki-Ekiti, 1978 to 1990 and choirmaster/organist free-of-charge of St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ifaki from early 1960s till his transition in March 1990.

    He joined Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in 1942 and 2557 was his registration number. He served as a member of the Executive Council of NUT of the old Western State of Nigeria in 1971. He rose to become a national leader of the respected union and acted as the National President of NUT, in 1978 to 1979. He represented Nigeria in December 1978 at the International Federation of Free-Teachers Union, 12th World Congress held in Manila, Philippines. His tenure as the leader of NUT was yet to be completed when he retired as a teacher in 1979. He called the attention of his NUT colleagues to it at an executive council meeting that the constitution says it is only a teacher still in service that can occupy the office of the president. His co-unionists venerated him.

    He served as a councillor in the old Ifaki/Ido/Osi District Council in the 1960s and elected chairman of Ifaki Town Council on the 15th of May, 1970. Chief Adetunmbi worked relentlessly with others to attract social amenities and development to the community which include post office, electricity, pipe borne water, police post, Ifaki Grammar School, and Ifaki General Hospital etc. He was installed the Asiwaju of Ifaki-Ekiti on the 13th of April 1974, by the suave and respected Olufaki of Ifaki, His Royal Highness, Oba Josiah Ojo Akanle III. The renowned school administrator and educationist served on the board of governors of many institutions as either chairman or treasurer. Some of these schools include Divisional Teacher Training College, Oye-Ekiti; All Saints Teacher Training College, Usi-Ekiti etc. He authored a detailed and well researched historical and documentary book titled, Typical Yoruba Community: Ifaki-Ekiti.

    Baba got married on August 10, 1952 to Miss Comfort Modupe Adelusi a.k.a. Mama. Baba and Mama kept faith with the holy matrimony until death did part them and the marriage was blessed with children. Chief D.O. Adetunmbi was a disciplinarian, a devoted family man, a very generous character and outstandingly upright. He was a lover of concord, a votary of peace, an advocate of truth and an apostle of harmony in every human endeavour. He appreciated his root and served his community selflessly and in turn his people revered him. He worshiped God through Christ with every means at his disposal and earned unequivocally the exalted position of a highly respected opinion leader in his domain.

    Baba was a front-line subsistence farmer. He loved organ music, it was his forte while photography was a hobby and enjoyed pounded yam with his favourite bush meat etu (antelope), akika (porcupine) and okuru (grass cutter). He enjoyed company of his people and honourable men generally.

    During 1989 Christmas holiday, I asked him how far he had gone with the historical book he was writing on Ifaki community. In response, he said: “After all, if I couldn’t finish it, you (Seye) will complete it for me…” Three months after, on the 21st of March 1990, my beloved father passed-on.  On March 20th 1990, he left choir practice around 6 pm, played his 1917 pedal organ at home till after 10 p.m. and passed on at about 2.30 a.m. of March 21st, 1990. “Such is a Christian parting hour, so peacefully, he rested in the lord”. At the time of his transition, he was survived by his wife, Chief Mrs C.M. Adetunmbi (1931-2017), the Iya-Ijo of St. Michael’s Anglican Church, Ifaki and his children: Chief Kayode Adetunmbi, Mrs Yetunde Makinde, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Engineer Adedayo Adetunmbi, Mrs Adenike Ogunyemi, Okan Oluseye Adetunmbi and Mrs Abimbola Afolabi with many grandchildren.

    Posthumous awards received included 1991 Ekiti Anglican Diocesan Merit Award and Ekiti State 2004 Merit Award.

    Subsequent to editing, updating with relevant vintage pictures and structuring the manuscript of his research work appropriately, in line with the way he would have wanted it done, I got the book published 28 years after his transition. It had been rather unsettling for me each time the project came to my consciousness all these years until I saw through the assignment he gave me. Consequent to seeing the depth of his research, his uncommon sense of record keeping and the huge materials he had been gathering since 1961 till 1990: digging deep into facts of history, geography, culture and tradition of his community, I was inspired to write the biography of the man with such a foresight and deep sense of selflessness. It was published as a separate book for posterity. Bulk of the two pictorial historical books that were initially produced has been donated to the libraries of Nigerian Universities and secondary schools. To facilitate access of more people to his research work and his inspiring published biography, the two books are now available online to mark the centenary of his birth and to the glory God.

  • Baptist women celebrate centenary

    The Women Missionary Union (WMU) of Lagos East Baptist Conference will celebrate its centenary anniversary tomorrow.

    The event, which will hold at Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos, from 9am, will be presided over by the WMU President, Deaconess Adeola Ajao, and WMU Director Mrs. Dupeore Adeniji.

    Its theme is “Moving forward: Building a great Church through Faithful Stewardship”, taken from 1 Peter 4:10.

    WMU was established on March 14, 1919, at Oke-Elerin Baptist Church, Ogbomosho.

  • Tinubu, Ajimobi, Alaafin for Okeho centenary

    All is set for the centenary celebration of the return of Okeho from its old site to its original site.

    The event will hold from October 20 to 28.

    Okeho is the headquarters of Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    It had existed for over three centuries at the current location before the forefathers were forced to migrate to the old site (Okeho Ahoro) for security reasons, following incessant raids by slave traders from Dahomey (now Republic of Benin) and the attacks by Fulani warriors.

    At some auspicious times, the town’s founding forefathers were compelled by the colonial administrator, Captain Ross, to relocate to the original settlement.

    This was after a bloody civil disorder on October 19, 1916. The incident was a revolt against forced labour, strange customs and conventions introduced by the colonial administration.

    After the riot was quelled, the people of Okeho started returning to the present location (the original settlement) and in early 1917, they were fully resettled.

  • Catholic seminary old boys celebrate school’s centenary

    Old boys of St Theresa Major Seminary popularly called ‘Oke Are Seminary’ have celebrated the institution’s 100-year anniversary at the school premises in Oke Are, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    It was an event where old boys drawn from between 1950 till 2015, reminisced on the exciting moments of their schooldays, and deliberated on how to move their alma mater forward. The event, which also featured  their annual general meeting (AGM), had the boys reflecting on memories of over 40 years.

    St Theresa Major Seminary is Nigeria’s oldest Catholic institution with a mandate to mould young boys into priesthood.

    The National President of the St Theresa’s Old Boys Association, Mr Segun Ogunade, described the moment as ‘exciting’.

    “This is quite an exciting moment. Seeing your classmate after 40 years of leaving school gives sweet memories of childhood friends and classmates.”

    In a chat with The Nation, an old boy, Mr Greg Akinlawo recalled the glowing days of his alma mater, saying a lot of things have changed over the years.

    “I remember in our time, water used to be scarce  and we had to walk a long distance to get water, although the hardship then was part of the training as to make us responsible. Today, the school provides everything for the students and one of the things we are doing here is to give back to our alma mater as it clocks 100 years.”

    In a statement earlier made available to our reporter, the alumni promised more projects would spring up in the institution this year.

    The high point of the event was the novelty match between 1978 and 1985 sets.

    The oldest surviving student of the institution and former teacher of the school, Mr Matthew Adekoya said he would forever remain grateful to his alma mater for making him who he is.

     

  • Centenary City: Indigenes seek inclusion in compensation

    Indigenous people of Gude, Sauka and Dakibiyu communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have cried out against being left out when communities affected by the Centenary City project are compensated.

    They have also called for the revaluation of their economic trees and crops.

    Over 199 native people in the three communities affected lamented what they described as irregularities and deception in the assessment and valuation of their economic trees and crops, saying that they were unduly influenced and that the process lacked transparency.

    The natives through their counsel, Mr. James Ndeye, a lawyer, are appealing to the federal government and the FCT administration to do a mop-up in the valuation or conduct another assessment and valuation.

    Ndeye, who addressed journalists in Abuja on the presumed wrongful manner in which the natives were cheated during the valuation of the economic trees and crops, said that about 250 hectares of land was acquired for the project in the three communities.

    He added during and after the assessment and valuation of economic trees and crops on their farmlands, only officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Centenary City representative, the private consultant and the farm owners’ committee chairman went round the entire 250 hectares of land without the participation of the individual farm owners.

    “It was a fraudulent exercise since no amount was disclosed to farm owners before collection and signing of cheque as they were unduly influenced to collect cheque first before seeing the amount written on it,” Ndeye said.

    While stressing the need for government authorities to revisit the valuation process, he said inadequate compensation will not only be a scourge to the natives, but a gradual extinction of their livelihood and their generation yet unborn.

    He said all the affected farm owners were paid about N26 million, with the highest paid farm owner receiving N885, 000 for his 14 hectare while the least paid farm owner was N10, 000.

    Ndeye said the aggrieved natives would have to seek redress by taking legal action in a competent court of jurisdiction to challenge the mode or manner of acquisition of farmlands by the authorities in charge of the Centenary City Project.

     

  • Centenary City of controversy

    Centenary City of controversy

    Its founders may have conceived a near-paradise of a metropolis but all the Centenary City has offered is one controversy after another. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports on the latest: indigenous women taking former Minister of the territory, Bala Mohammed to task over nonpayment of compensation.

    When will dreadful tales end about a city conceived to offer beauty and class? Initiated by the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration to mark the country’s 100th anniversary, the Abuja Centenary City was, at least in the head of its founders, nothing short of a dream land, a metropolis where everything was in its place.

    In reality, the multi-billion naira city has provided nothing but agony and controversy. There is no city to speak of. No houses, no residents, no beautiful lawns or classy cars cruising well paved roads. Forests surround the site. The city has failed to take off.

    That is not all. Many have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to scrap the project. Some have asked whether former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, whose office championed the project, had any personal interests in it and whether or not he declared such interests. Anyim also faced questions regarding how he reportedly sourced N1.2 billion allegedly paid from his company’s account to displaced people.

    Now, some of those displaced people have said they were not paid any resettlement fees as compensation for their indigenous lands acquired for the Centenary City. Indigenous women in Abuja under the auspices of Airport Road Gbagyi Women Association have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over nonpayment of compensation by the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Centenary City Plc.

    Women Leader of Centenary City affected communities, Mrs. Ladi Danladi who made this known in a press statement called on Buhari to sanction the former Minister for FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed for pitching him and his administration against the people.

    According to the indigenous women, Buhari should compel the former Minister for FCT Senator Bala Mohammed to immediately provide adequate compensation for their lost means of livelihood.

    “Professional estimates put the compensation value at more than N10 billion. A lot of our young people are going to be rendered idle and we do not want this to happen because an idle mind is a fertile mind for anything.

    “Compel the Minister to retract his malicious and false accusation that he has paid us one billion two hundred million (N1,200,000,000) naira as compensation. Reassure us that we will not regret our support for your administration by correcting this outright injustice.

    “Proactively handle this to avoid a breach of peace within the FCT and by extension the Nigerian nation. We write to vehemently protest the wicked, malicious and unfortunate deprivation of our means of sustainable livelihood, false accusation, discord and hatred being sown in our community that may lead to breach of peace by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed.

    “We are the entire women representing the original inhabitant communities of the area presently designated as the centenary city, consisting of the following communities, Baruwa, Dayisna, Kpaikpai and Togo. We as women are the last bastion of peace, as we have been intervening and preventing our men from carrying out their threat of outright confrontation,” they said.

    They explained that their communities have always loved and supported the present administration and they are willing to give President Buhari more support, that however, following the recent development, many of their people are beginning to question the sincerity of the present administration based on the actions of the FCT Minister.

    “The Minister has announced that he is compensating us for our means of sustainable livelihood with a sum of One billion Two Hundred Million Naira (N1, 200,000,000). Your Excellency, this sum is very paltry considering the huge number of our people whose means of livelihood will be terminated. No proper enumeration has been conducted and these figures do not in any way represent the quantity of losses that has been and will be incurred on the loss of our livelihood.

    Reminiscing over the purported one billion two hundred million naira announced to us as compensation, it is on record that the minister has only released the sum of three hundred, nineteen million, five hundred and seventy four thousand, nine hundred and seventy eight naira only.

    “The actual amount paid was N319, 574,978 the affected communities are BARUWA with a population of 702 people paid N80, 467,925, KPAIKPAI with a population of 656 people paid N55, 551,641, TOGE with a population of 681 people paid N86, 614,069 and DAYISNA with a population of 1,015 people paid N96, 941,343. Putting these people together, you will have a total number of 3,054 persons from the 4 communities.

    in Abuja, said that the affected communities namely, Barwa, Dayisna, Kpaikpai and Toga the condemned condemned and disassociate themselves from the statement.

    “We categorically consider the said approval of the report as submitted to Mr. President in it entiréty as fradulent, misleading and deceit. The authority had reneged on our collective position reached between the affected communities and the authority to constitute a standing Committee to fashion out modalities for the relocation and resettlement of the affected communities.

    “We have sincé rebuffed and countered by our letters to some government and concerned authorities, the statement made by the Director of Centenary City Plc, that affected communities have been compensated.

    “It is however, regretable that up to the time of this press briefing, we are yet to receive any response, correspondence or attention from the concern authourities. It is on record that the sum of N319, 574,979:00k only was spent as monetary compensation to the affected communities with respect to their crops and economic trees only,” they said.

    The indigènes explained in a breakdown of how the N319,574,979:00k they got for their crops and economic trees was shared amongst the affected communities, that Barwa village got N80,467,928, Dayisna village got N96,941,343:50k, Kpaikpai village N55,551,641, while Toge village got N86,614,069.

    “We therefore challenge the authority to explain how, and when the said a whoopping sum of over one billion naira, N1.237 was spent as compensation to the affected communities with verifiable evidence.

    “We have resolved to undertake all available legal and constitutional means to make sure that our inalienable rights as guarranteed by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are not trampled upon as citizens of Nigeria,” Gade said.

     

     

     

  • On the Abuja Centenary Legacy City Project

    On the Abuja Centenary Legacy City Project

    It is the season of daily media reports about shocking frauds, financial scams and massive corruption in Nigeria, uncovered since the change of government in May. Last week, the public was jolted by a claim from a Mr. Cairo Ojougboh, a little known public figure, though the former chairman of the Nigerian (Free) Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), that due process was not followed by the Centenary City PLC in acquiring a large chunk of land for developing its proposed Legacy Centenary City project in Abuja.

    Specifically, he named the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim, as being behind the project and claimed that he had abused his office as the SGF in improperly securing the land for the project, as well as in getting the approval of the authorities of the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) for the entire project estimated to cost over US$18 billion. In response, the sponsors of the project claimed that it is a PPP project, and that it is being funded by contributions from 15 developers from the USA, the UAE, and some Nigerians. So far, none of the shareholders has been publicly named or identified either by Mr. Ojougboh, or the Centenary City PLC.

     I was, at first, quite sceptical of Mr. Ojougboh’s allegations against Senator Anyim on this matter. I just could not believe it is possible, even with our famed public corruption that such a heist as the Legacy City Project could be pulled off by a public officer, no matter how powerful he is. But now, I have just read an advertorial placed on page 44 of this paper on Monday, August 24, by the management of Centenary City PLC, the sponsors of the so-called Abuja City Centenary Legacy Project. It was their first public attempt to fully refute any allegations of wrongdoing by either the Centenary City PLC, or by Senator Anyim, as claimed by Mr. Ojougboh over the project. I should say I was almost persuaded by the strong case made in its own defence and of the project by the management of the Centenary City PLC. Their defence basically is that this is a public and private sector project, that due process was followed in acquiring the land from the FCT, that no public funds were involved in any way in the project, and that it was in the public interest. But, even if these claims by the sponsors are true, there are a lot of ethical and moral issues raised by the manner in which the project was conceived. These moral issues are quite disturbing and require further reflections on the whole matter.

     Is it morally justified that such a large chunk of valuable land in Abuja, the nation’s capital, should have been handed over, for whatever reasons, to so-called private developers? Can this be validly held to be in the national interest? Is this not a case, again, of the rich, whether Nigerians, or foreigners, grabbing potentially valuable land from the poor for the benefit of the rich, a regrettable and disturbing trend that is growing in our country, and that should be of public concern?

     I had, last year, written extensively in my column in this paper criticising the idea of an elaborate celebration of the centenary, an event in Nigeria’s history that is best forgotten. If the Federal Government decided, despite strong and widespread public criticism, on marking the centenary of Lugard’s amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, why was the idea of the so-called Legacy City preferred to other options that could have been more beneficial to the nation? Even if it is a private sector initiative, are there not many other sectors of the economy, particularly energy and public transportation, crying for investment that would have been more beneficial to the public? Was the idea of an Abuja Legacy City, with its planned huge financial investments, not preferred to others because it offered people in power, such as Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the former SGF, who claims to have coordinated the celebrations, ample opportunity for graft? Who were those behind the decision to build the Legacy City? And why should such a large chunk of land in Abuja, a national asset, be handed over to a so-called private company for the development of an exclusive city, the social benefit of which is not so apparent? And who are the shadowy members of the Board of this secretive company? Why can’t the sponsors of the project reveal their identities? It is a matter of public interest. The public is entitled to know who are behind it all. We need to know those who made the cash calls from which N1.2 billion was allegedly raised to compensate the original owners of the land, as well as the US$18 billion proposed for the project. And was the compensation offered to the indigenous owners of the land in question reasonable, prompt and adequate? How much was paid to the FCT for the land in question? These are legitimate questions begging for answers.

      We are reminded of a similar land grab by Jonathan, the former President, near the airports in Abuja that was originally intended for the development of the aviation industry in Abuja. Is this not a replication of the failure of judgment by Jonathan in the land grab that caused such a public furore in the country? And did Jonathan not feel obliged to turn a blind eye to the deal because of his own Abuja land grab? The fact of the matter is that such a land grab of a valuable national asset in the nation’s capital, or anywhere else for that matter, is outrageous and should, in no circumstances, be tolerated or accepted by the public. I find it morally repugnant as it is not in the public interest. Even if it is fully and finally developed, which I doubt in present circumstances, it is bound to be socially divisive as questions will continue to be asked in future about its ethical and moral perspectives. If the sponsors of the project decide not to go ahead with it for financial and other reasons, who takes over their assets including the Abuja land? Your guess is as good as mine.

    Secondly, the man at the centre of the project, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, admits that he coordinated activities marking the centenary celebrations, including the Legacy City Project. Why should he have been given such wide powers by the Jonathan PDP federal government? Was he solely in charge of the Legacy Project, or were other ministers involved in the transactions? Were the federal Attorney-General, Finance Minister and the Minister of Trade and Investments asked for advice on such a massive project? If they were not, then there is something fundamentally remiss about the manner in which the project was conceived and executed. In fact, in view of its national importance and possible negative physical effect on Abuja, such a project should not have been conceived and approved without a referendum, as would have been the case in other civilised climes. Abuja is our collective national patrimony. Any departure from its original master plan should be thoroughly debated first before any alteration to it. The big, rich land grabbers have already succeeded in distorting and changing the Abuja master plan. It is now over built and no longer the beautiful city it was supposed to be. Clusters of slums are now growing around Abuja. Those who support Anyim in this matter will argue that he acted in good faith even if his judgment and his role in the sordid matter can be called into question. But this can only be established by a thorough investigation into the manner such a vast track of land was acquired by private individuals in our capital city where there will soon be an acute shortage of land.

    The Eko Atlantic City in Lagos with which it is being wrongly compared by its sponsors is totally different from the Abuja Legacy City. First, most of the land in respect of the Atlantic City is land reclaimed by its sponsors from the sea. A lot of investment went into that venture. What investment have the sponsors of the Abuja Legacy City made in the Abuja land they have grabbed? Besides, unlike the Eko City project, the Abuja land grabbed for the proposed Legacy City is a national asset. This and Jonathan’s land grab in Abuja should be thoroughly investigated and the land grabbed should be revoked and recovered from them. We cannot afford to have people placed in a position of trust and responsibility, such as the SGF, grabbing public land, or aiding other private individuals to do so. It is clearly an abuse of trust and power about which President Buhari should do something.

    Over the years, the position of the SGF has become too powerful. That was not the case when civil servants, with all their faults, held the post which, for a long time, was held along with the post of Head of the Federal Civil Service. For all practical purposes, the SGF is now like an unelected prime minister, more powerful than the ministers. It is he who coordinates the activities of all the ministers, many of whom are denied direct access to the President, as all important official documents pass through him. I believe it is time to review the position and powers of the SGF so as to avoid its abuse as in this land grab case. As is becoming clearer with recent revelations, ex-President Jonathan did not really know much about what was happening in his government. He only saw and heard what his ministers and the SGF wanted him to know. This does not exonerate him from ultimate responsibility for the chaotic financial situation he left behind in the country. But he was not really on top of his government the way Obasanjo would have been. Despite his many faults, President Obasanjo would almost certainly not have endorsed the idea of a Legacy City of the kind planned for Abuja.

  • Suspend Centenary City project’

    Some indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of Lugbe/Iddo District Community Youth Forum have urged the federal government to suspend all overt and coverts actions or steps with regard to the Centenary City Project pending the constitution of standing ad-hoc committee to complete modalities of compensation and resettlement of affected indigenes.

    The natives who are indigenes of Toge, Dayisna, Kpaipai and Barwa communities, also advised the Managing Director of the Centenary City Plc, Dr. Ike Odinigwe to thread with caution in actualising the project, and not to infringe on their fundamental human rights as bona fide citizens of Nigeria.

    Speaking on behalf of the natives, the Chairman of the Forum, Emmanuel Gade, faulted the comment made by the Managing Director of the Centenary City Plc, Dr. Ike Odinigwe in July 24 edition of the Daily Trust Newspapers in respect to the acquisition of vast land for the resettlement project, that 671 bulidings would be constructed for the affected indigenes and that N1.237Bn has been spent on compensation and ressettlement project.

    Gade said that it was amazing that the authority acted in contrast to their earlier agreement, after series of consultative meetings between the authority and the concerned communities who are both critical stakeholders in the centenary city ressettlement scheme.

    “It is worthwhile, that we draw the attention of the authorities to the earlier compromise strucked between them and the affected communities. This was in effect that after the payment of compensation to the original inhabitants with respect to their farm lands, in favour of road networks within the centenary city, which was concluded accordingly.

    “The next step was to constitute and inaugurate an adhoc standing committee with membership drawn from the authority and concerned communities of which its terms of référence is to design and fashion out modalities and the module operandi with respect to the relocation and resettlement of the affected communities.

    “We like to state that, no committee of such magnitude was ever constituted and we wonder on whose mandate the Managing Director of the Centenary City Project is making those pronouncements.

    “We the entirely affected communities in strong term vehemently and in totality rejected the publication made by the Managing Director regarding the centenary city project, but instead demand the authority to tender an unreserved apology to the affected communities via an advertorial by this same medium or any other means as praticable,” he said.

     

  • Centenary City, centenary cut

    They touted it as a city to be built on virgin land; a city on the hill, so to say. But not comparable to the holy city of Jerusalem, which the Bible talks about. However, the promoters of the Centenary City had a similar city in mind; a city that will blow our minds and punch a hole in our pockets. In the pockets of those that can afford it, that is.

    The Centenary City was conceived as a monument to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates from which present day Nigeria emerged. It was a lavish celebration on which billions of naira were spent. Then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, was at the helm of the planning committee.

    Abuja was virtually locked down for this once in a lifetime ceremony, which started in February, 2014 and ended  in February, 2015. The idea behind the city’s conception may not be bad, but was it done with the purest of motives? This is the question now being asked amid the controversy over the city’s status. The Centenary City is not just a city, but a city within a city carved out of the capital city of Abuja. Some villages were sacked for the city. These are the villages of  Baruwa, Kpaikpai, Gosa, Daiynna, Toge and Ruga.

    Eventhough these communities initially kicked against the acquisition of their land for the project, they later acquiesced after being compensated.  Then Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Bala Mohammed,  also initially reportedly refused to buy into the project, claiming that the city is not captured in the Abuja masterplan. He also later changed his mind and signed the certificate of occupancy (C of O) following orders from above. Whether it was done on orders from above or not, the time for asking questions is here. And those behind the project are afraid that they may be called upon to give account.

    Questions could not be asked in the past because we were under a government of anything goes. Former President Goodluck Jonathan was and still is a happy, jolly fellow, who did not want anything to disrupt the good life he was having in government.  He allowed his lieutenants a free hand to do whatever they liked as long as his own interest was not affected. And some of these lieutenants used his name to perpetrate evil under the guise of working in the national interest.  To rebuild the nation, we must probe the sordid deeds of the past to deter our future leaders. Otherwise, we will continue to move around in circles – all movement and motion.  But they would have none of such probe; they want us as a people to pretend as if nothing went amiss under their watch. We know that a lot went wrong under Jonathan. The former president also know that many things went wrong under him, but he did not have, as they say, the liver to act.

    With the Buhari administration determined to clean the Augean stable, these yesterday men have been running to the Abdulsalami Abubakar-led peace committee to help save their necks. The panel’s brief, I beg to say, does not include interfering in the due process of getting past public officers to account for their stewardship. The panel has done its best by getting President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Jonathan to accept the outcome of the March 28 election. It should not see this selfless service as a licence to dictate to the Buhari administration how to run the country. The panel has no hold over Buhari because it brokered peace between him Jonathan before the poll. If the government has decided to probe Jonathan, so be it.

    Didn’t Jonathan tell the world before leaving office that he was not afraid of being probed? His plea, however, was that the probe should be extended to the governments before his. That was only a suggestion, which the present government can either accept or reject. His suggestion is not binding on Buhari. If Jonathan is so much interested in the probe of the governments before his, why didn’t he initiate it? He should not use this as a ploy to accuse the Buhari administration of witch hunting him. Why should the government do that? He needs not be afraid if his hands are clean.

    The truth is there was nothing clean about the Jonathan administration and this is why those who served in it are jittery about being probed. No amount of blackmail should stop the Buhari administration from going ahead with the exercise. One of the projects that should be looked into is the Centenary City. Was due process followed in the acquisition of the vast land for the project? Were the displaced villagers duly compensated? How did it acquire its free zone status when it is not purely a commercial venture? Are such projects worldwide given such status? How do they acquire it? The project looks good on paper, but deep down it smells of a scam. Like everything Nigerian, some people have used it to con us. They have made a cut from the project and will still make more, if the government does not act fast to stop them.

    There is something fishy about the Centenary City. If not, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman, Southsouth Cairo Ojougboh will not be crying foul. To Ojougboh,  the Centenary City, which is expected to be completed in 10 years, is a scam. Why? He submits : “It is an elaborate scheme cunningly conceived to defraud the government and the good people of Nigeria”. Ojougboh should know because he was Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) Chairman when the city acquired its free zone status. Could the Centenary City have got that status without the NEPZA chairman’s knowledge? That is impossible except if it was done behind his back. If this is so, those who did it should answer for their actions.

    Ojougboh, who is enraged that Anyim has taken him to court over the  matter and also organised a protest, which he calls ‘’a show of shame’’ against him,  insists that the project is “crime personified” because its C of O was obtained under false pretence. He adds that it was cunningly contrived to look like a public private partnership (PPP) management. The city, he maintains, was also “cunningly incorporated as a free zone without any authority whatsoever to do so. It is public knowledge that the only agency with the authority to designate any area as a free trade zone is NEPZA, where I served the nation as chairman. It is, therefore, inevitable that being a man of conscience, who would have no traffic with impunity or corruption, I would reveal this scam to the authorities and the general public.

    “The Centenary City is indeed a project devised to trick the authorities into giving a huge chunk of land to one man under the guise of PPP”. What do those asking the present government to let sleeping dogs lie say of these allegations? Swept under the carpet? Is that what will ensure that the peace we now enjoy endure? No, it will rather shatter it because where there is no justice, there can be no peace. If we want peace, we should embrace justice first. Otherwise, what we will have, will be peace of the graveyard.

    As for me, I cannot wait for Ojougboh to make good his promise to initiate “legal proceedings by way of sending petitions to the appropriate authorities as regards this issue”. It is only those whose hands are not clean that will be afraid of the impending probe of the past government, an exercise which many Nigerians are eagerly waiting for. Heavens will not fall over this probe whether some people like it or not.