The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) directors have apologised to Nyesom Wike over a recent confrontation with military officers.
It could be recalled that on Tuesday, November 11, a video widely circulated online showing Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), in a heated exchange with a naval officer, A.M Yerima, at a site in the Gaduwa district of Abuja.
Construction on the contentious land, plot 1946, allegedly commenced by former naval chief Awwal Gambo, was halted by an FCTA directive due to the alleged absence of valid documentation.
Addressing the press on Thursday, November 13, on the brouhaha, the director of development control at FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima, explained how Wike became involved in the matter.
He confirmed that on October 17, staff from the Department of Development Control were on routine monitoring of developments across the nation’s capital. During this exercise, they discovered construction within the Southern Parkway corridor.
The director further stated that when officials requested approval documents, they were met with “stiff resistance” and with “threats to shoot” from navy personnel on the site.
The contentious land, numbered plot 1946, is linked to a former naval chief of staff, Awwal Gambo, who allegedly commenced construction on the site despite an FCTA directive halting work due to the alleged lack of proper or valid documentation.
The director of development control at FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima, addressed the press on the brouhaha on Thursday, November 13, and explained how Wike became involved in the matter.
He said the military officers claimed all their approvals were with their lawyers and engineers, but the only document eventually produced was a 2007 letter of intent issued by the department of parks and recreation—not a formal development approval.
Galadima said during the discussion, a lawyer representing the former naval chief arrived and insisted they had approval for the construction.
“I explained that there is a clear difference between submission and approval, and it is illegal within the prohibitions of the FCT Act of 1976 and the Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 to commence development in the federal capital territory without approval,” he said.
The Director said he subsequently sent a distress call to Wike because of the presence of armed military officers at the site, which ultimately led to the public confrontation
“And on getting there, that ugly incident happened, which I am really sorry to the honourable minister for,” he said.
“I want to sincerely apologise to the honourable minister for dragging him into this situation on that fateful Tuesday.”
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, director of lands administration, said the claimants were relying on an 18-year-old letter of intent from the department of parks and recreation, which only permitted them to manage and operate a designated park site and did not confer any legal right of occupancy or approval to construct on the land.
“I wish to make it clear that in the FCT, the only thing that gives you title to land is the statutory right of occupancy. Letter of intent is not a title,” Nwankwoeze said.
“Since he had not submitted a detailed technical proposal, no lease agreement was given to him. He did not develop and complete development on the site within one year, as he didn’t build anything by 2008.
“Beyond not having title, in Abuja, you cannot build anything without approval of the plans you submitted because the department of development control will look at your design proposal and certify and ascertain that what you propose to develop is in line with the dictates of the master plan.”
Nwankwoeze added that the construction on the site is done illegally.
