What turned Abuja into one of the most expensive cities in the world is greed of our political elite. The vicious battle over Abuja priceless land by politicians who are ready to deploy stolen national wealth into building of mansions, estates and farms where they rear crocodiles has become more vicious in recent years. If we needed any further proof to show how greed has turned a beautiful concept of a city meant for all Nigerians by Justice Akinola Aguda to a city hijacked by men without character, the planned trial of Mallam Bala Mohammed, the immediate past Minister for Abuja Territory provided just that.
Following close examination of petitions against Bala Mohammed, some dating back to 2013, initial findings, according to EFCC showed that “the ex-Minister used fictitious companies to award contracts worth N1 billion in FCT; allocated 12 plots of land to his son and 37 commercial plots of land to his business front called Tariq Hammoud”, from which he reportedly made N8billion. They are also re-visiting the controversial N1 trillion Abuja land swap.
But the travail of Bala Mohammed is a case of who should cast the first stone among our new breed politicians that breed nothing but corruption. If we ‘shine our eyes well’ (apologies to Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State), we will see that land profiteering dates back to 1999 when with PDP assumption of power, the Abuja land policy thrust like all other PDP government policy thrusts such as privatisation, monetization, fuel subsidy and even vehicle plate number modernization were designed and implemented for the benefit not of the people but of those in government and their fronts. Bala Mohammed is therefore no less guilty than past presidents, ministers, lawmakers and governors who have with stolen public funds turned Abuja to the battle ground of who erect the greatest number of mansions, hotels, private estates and private farms.
What gave us an insight into the recklessness of the political class was the crusade embarked upon by an NGO called Purpose Driven Initiative (PDI), the whistle blower for Abuja land grab by ex-President Jonathan and his Minister for Abuja Territory. In an advertisement titled: “Let us talk about corruption”, the NGO had regaled the public with the tales of how “A sitting President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, incorporated a company, Ebele Integrated Farms Limited in which he is a major shareholder on December 30, 2011 and applied for and was granted 94.04 hectares of land – Plot 1689 in Cadastral Zone EOS Aviation Village, Abuja on January 13, 2014. Apart from the fact that this was a breach of the code of conduct for public officers, the whistle-blower claimed: “The farm house which sits on a hill top overlooking the airport at the nation’s capital with rest chalets and presidential conference rooms, and probably managed by Israelis was said to be worth about $500m.” It was further claimed that crocodiles are some of the livestocks being reared at its aquatic farm.
Rising in defence of President Jonathan and his minister, a pro- government coalition, New Generation Coalition, justified the breach of public trust by claiming that ex-president similarly also incorporated a company, Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited, applied and was granted a 100.12 hectares of land, Plot No.1 Cadastral Zone E09 Kuje, Abuja on June 27, 2005. But even among thieves, there is supposed to be honour, but it is not so with the PDP where Jonathan apologists claimed that, by allocating and signing Certificate of Occupancy for his boss, Bala Mohammed was only following the foot-steps of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Obasanjo’s FCT Minister who allocated land and signed Certificate of Occupancy for Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited on July 24, 2006″. If Obasanjo immorally grabbed 100.12.hectares, why can’t Jonathan also immorally grab 94.4 hectares, they seem to be saying.
As it turned out, Obasnajo and Jonathan, the greatest tragedies of our time merely created a pathway for their ministers and lawmakers who after confiscating their official residences under dubious monetization policy jointly embarked on massive padding of the budget which started when Dr. Bukola Saraki, fresh from medical school with no relevant experience, was appointed by an all-knowing Obasanjo as special assistant on budgeting in 1999.
If only for the breach of public trust, Nigerian would have wished the Certificate of Occupancy given to Obasanjo and his godson in respect of the land they grabbed be revoked and the duo sanctioned. But I think cash-strapped President Buhari should just re-evaluate the 200 hectares of prime land and mandate father and son to pay the appropriate economic rate plus the interest that would have accrued to government.
And following in the footsteps of President Jonathan, the whistle-blowing group also claimed, Bala Mohammed, in clear violation of the 1999 constitution, incorporated Bird Trust Agro-Allied Limited on May 31, 2012. Minister Bala Mohammed was said to have also allocated a modest 40.4 hectares, Plot 1683 in Cadastral Zone E05 of Aviation Village in Abuja on April 11, 2014,” to Minister Mohammed’s company.
The Secretary to Government, Anyim Pius Anyim was not left out. He and some powerful people in President Jonathan’s government according to Daily Trust investigation were behind the Centenary City Plc, a private company which set out to build a mega-city to commemorate Nigeria’s centenary celebration. The company grabbed for itself 1,262.27 hectares of prime land.
Again confiscating a prime land three times the size of Maitama or Asokoro districts for private use by those in government and their fronts is greed at its worst form. But we desperately need money and since we are in an era of plea bargaining, government should just play the Shylock by insisting Anyim Pius Anyim, the chief promoter, Abdul Salami Abubakar, the chairman and Dr Ike Michaels the Managing Director, pay the N63 billion in land fees for the Centenary City project which Daily Trust claimed was waived by federal government.
First ladies were similarly not left out in the vicious battle over Abuja prime plots. Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua once went to court asking she ‘be paid N1.5 billion as general damages, N100 million as exemplary damages, N100 million as aggravated damages in addition to N261 million already paid for Certificate of Occupancy as well as N454 million paid for building designs’ over her revoked land which was reallocated to Mrs. Patience Jonathan ostensibly for public interest. Mrs. Jonathan also went to court through the Ministry of Justice. In the end Turai floored her rival when the court ruled “The defendants failed woefully to adduce any shred of evidence before this court to support their claims that the allocation of the land was revoked on overriding public interest”.
But government in desperate need of cash must ascertain if Turai paid the correct charges. This call has nothing to do with the integrity of Turai or her husband under whom she secured the prime Abuja plot. It is just that Nigerians cannot trust any of the FCT ministers.
And finally since we are cash strapped, government should revisit the illegal and immoral sharing of 29 plots of land in the Maitama District which according to Dino Melaye fell within an area designated for erection of tourist structure for foreign visitors. He listed as beneficiaries President Jonathan, former Justice Minister Muhammed Bello Adoke; ý former Bauchi governor Isa Yuguda; and former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus among others. Since many of these men already have mansions in Abuja, they should be heavily taxed if they must convert land earmarked for public use into private use.
If we cannot take our nation’s capital back from veteran budget padding lawmakers and ministers who have pumped billions into turning it into the exclusive preserve of the rich, they should be made to pay heavy tax not only to maintain the city but to solve social problems of other cities especially in an age of dwindling economic fortune.
