•Says he’ll not be swayed by blackmail

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has vowed to continue demolishing structures in the nation’s capital despite a halt order by the Senate, insisting that he would not be swayed by blackmail.

 The former governor of Rivers State maintained that the structures being demolished by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) are properties illegally built on government lands.

“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja, we are not afraid of blackmailing,” Wike said during the distribution of operational vehicles to security agencies at the FCTA Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

“In fact, you cannot be in this kind of position and say you cannot be blackmailed particularly as regards this Abuja.

“There are so many land grabbers. Some of us have come to put our feet down. Let heaven fall. It is even better that heaven comes down now so that we would not be fasting again to go to heaven.”

Following a motion raised by Ireti Kingibe at plenary, the Senate, had a few hours earlier, directed the minister to halt the demolition of properties in the nation’s capital, pending the conclusion of investigations by its ad-hoc committee.

Kingibe had expressed concerns that the demolition in the FCT has taken a dangerous dimension and insisted that there was a need for the Senate to intervene.

Part of Kingibe’s motion reads: “Further concerned that demolition in FCT is no longer in line with due process and that a cross-section of individuals has suffered untold hardship occasioned by massive demolitions which have led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.

“Note that the Federal Capital Administration, on the instruction of the Honorable Minister of Federal Capital Territory, embarked on massive demolition of structures within the Federal Capital Territory.

“Also note that the demolition, according to the FCT authority, was informed by illegal structures and non-development of allocated plots of land by the FCT administration.

“Concerned that in recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT is no longer based on reasons adduced by the FCT administration that necessitated the demolition. Further concerned that the current demolition in the FCT is not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.

“Also concerned that at the moment, an estate by the name Merss Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa of Bebo, is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition. And from reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with the requisite title document.

“And further concerned that the owner of this estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, with registration number 001.”

After Kingibe’s presentation, the senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, objected to the motion and urged colleagues not to stop the minister from carrying out his statutory functions.

He suggested an investigation into the demolitions carried out so far.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, told the senator to drop sentiments and be patriotic, stating that damage cannot be done first only to be investigated later.

He expressed concern that the government may face court action by those who were aggrieved by the demolition.

He subsequently ruled that the ongoing demolition should be halted.

An ad-hoc committee headed by Jibrin Barau was constituted to investigate the demolitions.

The Sun Nigeria