The House of Representatives initiated an investigation into the purportedly illicit distribution of lands just prior to Nyesom Wike’s appointment.
The House directed its FCT committee to look into all of the allocations made between January 1st and August 27th, when Mr. Wike returned to government.
Jonathan Gaza made a motion at plenary on Thursday, and it was followed by this resolution.
In the motion, Mr. Gaza gave an explanation of how certain ministry officials had authorized land to real estate developers between May 29, the day former Minister Mohammed Bello resigned, and May 29, the day Mr. Wike returned to his position.
According to him, the lands were assigned without the substantive minister in the ministry’s consent.
“In the period 29th May 2023 to 21st August 2023, several title documents on land in the FCT were issued to some real estate developers in a highly suspicious manner.
“[We] wonder if the Director of Lands or any official of the FCDA who issued R of O’s purportedly in the name of the Minister of FCT at the period when the office of the Minister was vacant, had the legal right or authority to do so,” he said.
He added that “some of the beneficiaries of these alleged fraudulent allocations are already using them to forcibly grab disputed land, which is a recipe for conflicts.”
When the motion was put to a vote by Ben Kalu, the presiding officer, it was approved unanimously.
