By danivert

Copyright thesun

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has dismissed claims that Paulo Homes Ltd is the owners of River Park Estate, Abuja.

Wike who made the clarification while speaking on Channels TV’s Political Platform on Thursday night, said the FCT signed an agreement with JonahCapital Nigeria Ltd promoted by Sir. Samuel Esson Jonah KBE to develop the estate on Plot 4 Cadastral, Zone E30 Lugbe, Abuja, during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Tracing the origin of the prolonged dispute over the estate, Wike said the original owner, Jonah, in turn brought in a third party (Paulo Homes) to help them obtain building approvals from FCT Development Control.

“A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, S.I. Ameh wrote a petition, and I set up a ministerial panel headed by the General Council, General Council is like the Attorney General of other states, saying ‘go and look into this’,” he said.

“Their lawyers made presentations, look this is terrible. First of all, we don’t have any business with Paulo Homes; there is no business between the FCT and Paulo Homes, nothing. The only people we signed an agreement with are JonahCapital Ltd.”

The minister noted that although JonahCapital breached the agreement with the FCT by bringing in Paulo Homes which had continued to obtain C of O for buyers without a valid lease agrement, its development lease had expired by the effluxion of time.

He said the ministry decided to demolish the properties hurriedly developed by Paulo Homes, withdraw all the C of O issued to the company on behalf of the unwary buyers, to give them directly to the Nigerian owners to protect them.

Providing details of the latest demolitions at the estate, Wike said, “I know the system and how they operate, they will now take it to court. ‘By the time you know, the minister is out, and when he leaves, another minister will come, and we will be able to settle.’

“I told my people, let’s get everything down. This is why things are getting wrong in this country – you want to do it and get your way, I will not allow it.”

Wike also condemned the activities Head of IGP Monitoring Unit, who Akin Fakorede, conducted a press conference with the former Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi to confer ownership of the estate on Paulo Homes and file criminal charges against the original owners, Jonah Capital.