Wike has denied allocating 2,082 hectares of FCT land to his son.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has denied allocating 2,082 hectares of land in Maitama, Asokoro and other areas to one of his sons.
The denial followed reports that the minister had allocated at least 2,000 hectares, or 40,000 plots, in Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape and other parts of Abuja to his youngest son, Joaquin.
The reports cited documents signed by the minister, and confirmations from FCTA officials including a source in the minister’s office.
ALSO: President Tinubu Repeals FIRS Act, Creates New Tax Agency
But reacting to the report, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister, who had earlier said he had no sufficient information regarding the allocations when contacted said in a statement on Thursday, that the claim was “another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT Minister.”
He insisted that “not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children.”
Olayinka called those behind the report “quack” who “lacked basic training…”
He queried, “In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT Minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”
He challenged those behind the report to produce evidence of any land allocation in the name of any of Wike’s children, although there were documents attached to the reports.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria, got land allocation in Bwari Area Council strictly for the purpose of farming,” he admitted.
He further said, “So what’s wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?”
He said the claim “that the FCT Minister allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son, is false and should be disregarded.”
According to him, the only document cited in the reports was a Right of Occupancy granted to the company for agricultural purposes, which had no link to the Minister’s children.
He added that while it was lawful for the Minister or his family to own land anywhere in Nigeria, no such allocation had been made.
Olayinka urged the public to disregard the claim, describing it as malicious and baseless.
