Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has recalled how he revoked the certificate of occupancy (C of O) of some plots of land allocated to German construction giant, Julius Berger, in the Katampe District of Abuja.
The minister spoke on Monday at the official Flag-Off Ceremony of the Design and Construction of 40 Judges’ Quarters at the nation’s capital.
The event was attended by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; and the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; among other dignitaries.
Wike said 70% of funds for the project had been released after its approval by the Federal Executive Council last month. He said out of the 40 units to be constructed, 20 will be allocated to the FCT High Court, 10 to the Federal High Court, and 10 to the Court of Appeal.
He said post-retirement housing insulates judges from manipulation, interference and exposure to certain temptations.
Addressing the CJN, Wike recalled how the land for the proposed quarters was secured. “My Lord, let me bring to your notice. You have seen this land here. When we were looking for where to get land to build. I was driving around looking for empty land and I got here and saw this empty land.
“I saw the big post: ‘Julius Berger’. I didn’t talk. I called the director of lands (and asked him): who owns that land? And he said: Julius Berger. When was it allocated? He said about 15, 20 years ago. 15, 20 years ago? Nothing has been done? I didn’t bother.
“So, I invited the MD (Managing Director of) Julius Berger. He came and we had dinner. I didn’t talk about the land. The next day, he was in the office and he saw the revocation letter as a matter of public interest.
“He called me and said but I had dinner with you. I said yes; we had dinner but we didn’t discuss the land.
“How will the government allocate land for more than 20 years for organisations to develop and they did not develop it? Thank God they did not develop it and now we can have it.”