WHO OWNS THE LAND: TURAI OR AFLPM?

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In the last few days, there have been publications in the national dailies about the “disputed” land which was purportedly allocated to the former First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua. There had been claims and counter claims over the said land which has pitched the former and current First Ladies against each other.

Now, before I go into the fact of the matter, would someone tell me if all these comments and opinions being sponsored in the newspapers are not subjudicial since the case is still in court? Be that as it may, I think there is the need for someone to put the records straight and put the facts on the table so that Nigerians will be able to make sound and unbiased comments about the issue at stake.

My suspicion was ordinarily stirred by the obvious inconsistencies in the different media comments and analyses, such that I was constrained to dig into the matter and lay the facts bare to Nigerians. Here are my findings;

• The African First Ladies Peace Centre (Mission) was granted Statutory Right of Occupancy with the file No. MISC 101173 over plot 703 in 2008.

• The AFLPC was issued a Certificate of Occupancy after accepting the offer on 11th August, 2008.(this was after the meeting of the steering committee of AFLPM Presidency, chaired by Turai Yar’Adua and attended by then FCT Minister, Aliyu Moddibo Umar)

• The then Minister, Aliyu Moddibo Umar told the meeting that the plot allocated to the Mission was centrally located opposite the Ministry of Justice.

• Turai was elected the President of African First Ladies Peace Mission in the Republic of Congo in February 2008 and got the mandate of her colleagues for Nigeria to host the Permanent Secretariat of the Mission.

• Turai secured the use of part of the Institute for Peace and Conflict resolution as the Interim Secretariat of the Mission pending the Building of the Permanent Secretariat.

• Patience inherited this and commissioned it as Interim Secretariat of the Mission during the 7th Summit of AFLPM.

• A new file no MISC 116519 was open to cover Plot 703 originally allocated to AFLPC (M) when the need arose for the building of the Permanent site of the AFLPM

• Plot 1347 was allocated in respect of Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF), Turai’s NGO (no date available as at press time) (all applicable fees paid as at November 2011)

• FCTA maintains that plot 1347 was the same allocated to the African First Ladies Peace Centre (Mission) in 2008.

Matters Arising:
• Where is Plot 703?
• Where is Plot 1347?
• When was Plot 1347 allocated? (none of the sponsored articles made any reference to that)

• Was Plot 703 converted to Plot 1347?
• Why would Aliyu Moddibo Umar and his successor, Adamu Aliero not clear the air about these allocations?

It appears to me that someone is trying to play smart here. This is a game plan that only discerning eyes would see, not even the eyes of the law.

From the above stated facts, Plot 703 seems to me to be Plot 1347. If this is so, the former ministers owe us a duty to explain the riddle behind the two allocations.

With that, records will be put straight and Nigerians will know who among the two is greedy and guilty of abuse of office, and who is following due process.

I rest my case for the judicious and unbiased minds.


Written By Sampson Giwa

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