The Nation Newspaper

Tag: denies

  • Abuja demolition: Falana denies minister’s claim of due process

    Rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday refuted the claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, that the demolition of 372 housing units on Airport Road, Abuja, followed due process.

    The lawyer, who is counsel to a property developer, Minanuel Investment Limited, challenged the minister to show evidence of notices served on his client.

    He stressed that the demolition of the houses by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) was done without the issuance of a stop work, quit or demolition notice.

    Falana urged the FCDA to apologise as well as pay “adequate financial compensation” to his client for injustice to be done.

    In a statement in Abuja, the popular lawyer said: “Our attention has been drawn to the statement credited to the Honourable Minister of the FCT to the effect that the demolition of our client’s 372 houses lying and situated at plots ED 1425, 1427, 1428, 1429 and 1430 on September 29-30 by the FCDA followed due process.

    “We wish to state categorically that the illegal demolition of our client’s properties did not follow due process, as the stop work, quit and demolition notices were not served on our client prior to the demolition, as alleged by the minister.

    “We are, therefore, compelled to challenge the FCT Minister to produce the evidence of the service of such notices on our client.”

    Falana noted that by virtue of the express provisions of the Recovery of Premises Act, Abuja, Cap 544, Laws of the Federation, no government, authority or person has the power to eject any person from any property or demolish any property in the FCT without recourse to the rule of law.

    “Since the demolition was not carried out by officers of the High Court of the FCT following a judicial determination of any dispute between the FCDA and our client, the demolition is illegal in every material particular.

  • Floods: Anambra committee denies rape at camps

    The Anambra State Committee on Flood Victims yesterday denied a report that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were being raped in the 25 camps.

    The committee, which is headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Oselloka Obaze, also denied a rumour that robbers invaded the camps to steal the relief materials donated by some individuals and corporate organisations.

    At a joint media briefing in Awka, the state capital, the Commissioner for Local Governments, Lady Azuka Enemuo said the claims were baseless and unfounded.

    She said: “We have put in place a solid machinery to protect life and property at the camps created by the Peter Obi administration. Those things happened elsewhere and not in Anambra.

    The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof Chinyere Okunna, warned against politicising the donation and distribution of the materials.

    The commissioner explained that Obi continuously appealed to the donors to channel their materials to the government for equitable distribution.

    She said the committee comprises the State Executive Council (Exco) members and clerics.

    Prof Okunna said the committee has been meeting daily to appraise the situation at the camps, adding that two of the eight local government areas affected were submerged.

    Those submerged are Ogbaru and Anambra West.

    Enemuo said the government had spent over N40million on the evacuation of the IDPs, adding that this covered the running of daily activities in the camps.

    The Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Development Lady Henrietta Agbata said more materials were being expected.

    The commissioner said her ministry had sent letters to church leaders in the state for assistance.

    The church leaders, according to her, were outside the flooded areas.

    She added that similar letters had been sent to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and corporate organizations.

    The SEMA state Coordinator, Dr Nwabufo Ijezie, said five people had been confirmed dead in the floods.

    He said Anambra State did not record high causalities because of the proactive measures the state took.

    The committee yesterday received more relief materials from Chief John Udeagbala, who is based in Aba, Abia State.

    The representative of the donor, Innocent Udeagbala, said the materials were brought to rehabilitate the IDPs.

    He urged other well-meaning residents to assist the flood victims and commended Governor Peter Obi for what he had done in the state.

  • PDP denies supporting Mimiko

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has denied that the party is canvassing support for the Labour Party candidate in Saturday’s poll, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

    He said Mimiko is not a member of the party, wondering why PDP would ask people to vote for its opponent.

    The PDP chieftain spoke at the weekend during a rally organised by the party in Akure for its standard bearer, Olusola Oke. President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice- President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark and other PDP bigwigs were also at the event.

    Tukur said: “Mimiko is not in PDP. We have our candidate in the person of Olusola Oke, a lawyer who is qualified to govern Ondo State. Our desire, as President Jonathan said, is to have Ondo State back in our fold. Oke is well-experienced in terms of governance, having been a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a national legal adviser of the party.

    “The high-powered delegation of the party that came to Ondo State, led by Mr. President, Vice-President, Senate President and my humble self is an indication that PDP is behind this tall, handsome man called Oke. We use this opportunity to dispel the rumour that PDP is backing Governor Mimiko.”

    He warned members involved in anti-party activities to desist from the act, saying PDP would deal with anybody culpable of the offence.

    President Jonathan urged Ondo indigenes to vote out Mimiko, saying the Labour Party should not be given a second term ticket.

    He said PDP was ready to transform the state.

    “Ondo State is endowed with human and natural resources. What is on ground is not commensurate with her potentials,” the President said.

    While canvassing support for the PDP candidate, Jonathan warned political parties not to engage in hooliganism. He urged parents to warn their children not to be used as thugs by the parties.

     

  • Imo denies acquisition of communal land

    Imo denies acquisition of communal land

    The Imo State Government yesterday denied the allegation that it has been acquiring some communal lands and re-allocating same to politicians and its cronies.

    Some aggrieved communities had accused the government of acquiring their lands without adequate compensation and converting same to personal use.

    The Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Uche Nwosu, described the allegation as baseless.

    He said the government had paid the compensation for the lands it acquired.

    The commissioner said the government had not allocated any of the acquired lands to private individuals.

    Nwosu added: “Despite the fact that the government has the right to acquire any land for development, we have not applied force in the process. Rather, the communities concerned have always been involved in the process and compensation has been paid in good time.

    “Most of the lands were acquired by previous administrations. When we came on board, we paid the compensation and started the development of the areas. In some areas where we encountered resistance from the communities, we allowed for exhaustive discussions between the government and the community. So, we have not forcefully acquired any communal land.”