How A Developer Sought To Emotionally Blackmail Me By Labeling Me Anti-Igbo–Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, has  narrated  how a land developer in Abuja  tried to  emotionally blackmail him  by labeling him an  ‘anti –Igbo person’, while restating his commitment to ending the excesses of land developers in Abuja.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Wike , who disclosed this while talking to reporters  in Abuja, added that the land developer in question had also sent SMS that he considered as offensive.

‘In his text, he said, ‘You said you want to deal with the Igbos.’

Imagine such an emotional  blackmail. The land we are talking about, did he give it to the Igbos? How can you think you are too smart to tell the public that I said I will deal with the Igbos and people can sit down and listen to such a thing?’ he said.

Wike also commented  on the issue of the  lawsuits  filed against the FCTA which had been done before his emergence as  FCT minister.

‘The problem in this country is impunity. The idea of saying ‘I’ve been doing it before and I’ll continue to do it and nothing will happen.’ Criminals are criminals, they may come in different ways. I’ve never seen land grabbing like in this FCT. Since I came in, there have been so many petitions.

One company  has over 10 petitions from different owners of properties. So, I summoned a meeting of all of them and they came with their lawyers who are senior advocates. I said look what is this? company A presented their own, company B presented their own, company C and company D Company and E did the same.

I said okay I’m going to seek advice from external solicitors. I’m not going to take it from inside the house because the legal secretariat and land department have been so compromised. So, I sought the views of two very senior lawyers. They wrote to me with their opinions but arrived at the same thing’ he said.

 ‘First of all, what happened? This land that this so-called ethnic jingoist talked about was allocated when there was no minister. The minister left on May 29, 2023, and in June, the land was allocated by the Director of Lands.

These guys think they too are clever. We met and said to Company B, don’t do anything again until we are able to make a final decision. Do you know what happened? These guys, thinking they were too smart, went on trying to fence and allocate the land to people to buy.

How did I know? A lady came and said ‘look honourable minister, I want you to advise me. There’s a place I want to buy land’. I asked where and she named the area and I said ‘no, we were having problems with it’ and I told her not to. Another time, the lady came back because she is a friend of mine and said people were buying and building. I said what?

Then, I was going to inaugurate the biggest water park that is Sunrise and it was in the same area. So, I inaugurated the water park project which was on a Friday and on the Thursday this same company and their allies went to court stopping me from  inaugurating the water park project and aligning with the FCT lawyer. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the injunction. I drove from that place, came back and called the general counsel to ask who was handling the case for FCT’ the minister added.

Wike also disclosed that he had there and then directed the general counsel to retrieve the file from the external lawyer.

‘How can you compromise with a plaintiff against us? I mean, I’ve never seen people who are so fraudulent in life. What they do here is that they sue me as the FCT minister, a suit which I was not aware of.

These guys think we are PDP Anambra state. That is their job. They have court judgments in their pockets. This is how they keep PDP in Anambra state and they can produce court orders and judgments overnight and I told him you’re wasted.

Who served me any court injunction? Nobody served me any court injunction because we had already agreed that nobody should do anything and then you moved thinking that they were clever and began to sell the land’ he said.

He also lamented that the activities of the land developers have been a cause for concern.

 ‘What is the benefit of the government selling the land? What they do is tell the government, we need 300 hectares and we are willing to develop it but they will not do anything. Then they become land speculators and make money. It is so embarrassing’  he added-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you