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Abuja land scam: Culprits’ll be punished -
Obasanjo
•EFCC indicts Igbinedion
LERE OJEDOKUN and COSMAS EKPUNOBI, Abuja
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo
yesterday formally commented on the reported land scam in the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), vowing that there will be no going back on the prosecution of
culprits.
Several prominent Nigerians were alleged to have acquired
land in the FCT through dubious means.
The President expressed his displeasure
over the scam, pointing out that land administration in the nation’s capital had
been grossly abused.
Similarly, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) maintained yesterday that Gov. Lucky Igbinedion of Edo
State has a case to answer over the land scam, with the chairman, Alhaji Nuhu
Ribadu declaring that he stood by the commission’s indictment of the governor.
EFCC, however, cleared Gov. Umar Musa
Yar’Adua of Katsina State of complicity in the scam.
Governor Igbinedion, on his part, has
since denied involvement saying the plot of land in question belongs to his
father, wealthy businessman, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.
Commissioning the prototype housing estate
at Gaduwa District, Abuja, built by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development, President Obasanjo decried the abuses to which land distribution in
the FCT had been put.
He sent warning signals to land fraudsters
across the country, saying nemesis would soon catch up with them.
Highlighting government’s policy on
housing and urban development, President Obasanjo regretted that little
attention had been paid to the sector in the past, resulting in the present
problems on shelter.
"The major thrust of this policy, which we
are committed to implementing, include amongst others the liberalisation of land
allocation process to make it available to all that need it for development.
"Special attention is being paid to
possible abuse and other sharp practices that characterised the past. In the FCT,
action is already on in this area and there will be no going back. We must bring
sanity, justice and fair-play into the land allocation process. I can assure you
that past abuses will be rectified and as necessary, culprits will be prosecuted
as a lesson to others. The lessons drawn from Abuja will go round the country,"
he said.
The President said measures being taken to
tackle housing problems include the restructuring of the mortgage institutions
so as to provide access to funds and empower ordinary Nigerians to own their own
houses.
Government, he added, has also placed
emphasis on increased local production of building materials to enhance
affordable mass housing while the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute
(NBRRI) and Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria (AHCN) have been
mandated to work towards 500 housing units in each of the 36 states.
Obasanjo also said that the Urban
Development Bank of Nigeria (UDBN) was being re-invigorated to serve as the
engine for urban development and renewal as part of the new housing policy.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on the land
deals, EFCC chairman, Ribadu said a lot of highly influential personalities were
undergoing interrogation even as he stated that the steps taken so far by the
commission have gone a long way in correcting certain anomalies on land
administration in the FCT.
"What is very clear is that the newspaper
got a copy of our report and if you are quoting from that report, I stand by
what our report says. But these are all people being investigated," he said.
A media report had recently alleged that
six governors were being quizzed by EFCC over various economic and
finance-related deals.
Ribadu who revealed that wide range "wrong
doings" nationwide were being probed by his commission, declined to give more
details as he maintained that doing so could jeopardise on-going investigations.
"The process requires you to finish your
work before coming out. Indeed, I will not be able to say clearly who and who we
are investigating. It is against the tenet of investigation for me to come out
and give details when you have not concluded on a matter," he added.
The commission, however, cleared Gov.
Yar’Adua of Katsina State, saying he was not being investigated for any wrong
doing.
"I can assure you that we are not
investigating the governor of Katsina State. There is no complaint, not even a
single complaint. I can assure you of that. I and indeed, EFCC are not
investigating the governor of Katsina State," he said.
On the probe into the alleged diversion of
local government funds by governors, the EFCC boss stated that the commission
had indeed begun investigation following the receipt of complaints against some
state chief executives.
Some states, he stated, had been visited but explained
that the agency was impeded when it got to Abia State due to a legal action
instituted by the state government at the Federal High Court in Umuahia.
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