Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has revealed that he revoked the title of an unused land allocated to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc after over two decades of inactivity. The decision came shortly after a dinner with the company’s Managing Director, where the issue of the land was not discussed.
Wike shared this incident during the official flag-off ceremony for the construction of 40 Judges’ Quarters in Abuja on Monday, October 21. He stated that the project had received 70% of the required funding following approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last month. Of the 40 units, 20 will be assigned to the FCT High Court, 10 to the Federal High Court, and 10 to the Court of Appeal.
Addressing the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the event, Wike recounted how the land for the Judges’ Quarters was identified. He explained that while searching for a suitable location, he came across an empty land with a large Julius Berger sign. Upon learning from the Director of Lands that the land had been allocated to the company 15 to 20 years ago and remained undeveloped, Wike decided to act.
"I invited the MD of Julius Berger for dinner. We didn’t discuss the land. The next day, I issued a revocation letter in the public interest," Wike explained. The MD later called him, surprised by the revocation, especially after sharing a meal the night before. Wike responded, "We had dinner, but we didn’t discuss the land."
He emphasized that it was unacceptable for a company to hold onto government-allocated land for over 20 years without development. "Thank God they did not develop it, and now we can use it," Wike concluded.
This revocation allowed the FCT government to reclaim the land for the construction of the Judges’ Quarters.
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