Nyesom Wike explains his decision to revoke Julius Berger’s land following a dinner meeting with the company’s Managing Director, highlighting his stance on land allocation issues.
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), recounted his decision to revoke Julius Berger’s certificate of occupancy for certain plots in Abuja’s Katampe District.
On Monday, the minister delivered a speech at the official launch ceremony for the design and construction of 40 judges’ residences in the nation’s capital.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, were among the dignitaries who attended the event.
Wike announced that 70% of the funding for the project had been disbursed following its approval by the Federal Executive Council last month. He stated that out of the 40 units planned for construction, 20 will be designated for use by the FCT High Court, while both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal will each receive an allocation of 10 units.
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He stated that housing provided after retirement protects judges from manipulation, interference, and exposure to various temptations.
Addressing the CJN, Wike recounted how they managed to obtain the land for the proposed quarters: “My Lord, I want to bring something to your attention. You have seen this piece of land here. When we were searching for a suitable location to build, I was driving around in search of available land and eventually came across this empty lot.”
I noticed a large sign that read “Julius Berger”. I chose not to speak directly. Instead, I contacted the director of lands and inquired about who owned the property. He confirmed it was Julius Berger’s land. When I asked when it had been allocated, he mentioned it was around 15 or 20 years ago. Despite this long period with no development on the site, I did not pursue further action.
I invited the Managing Director of Julius Berger to dinner, and he attended. During our meal, I refrained from discussing the land issue. The following day at his office, he came across a public interest notice regarding the revocation letter.
He called me and mentioned that we had dinner together. I replied, “Yes, we did have dinner, but we didn’t talk about the land.”
How could the government allocate land to organizations for over 20 years without them developing it? It’s fortunate they didn’t, as now we have the opportunity to utilize it.
