Rights Activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has lamented the revocation of the ownership of a property belonging to her late husband, Col Paul Ogbebor, retd, in Abuja, saying President Bola Tinubu should call the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FTC, Nyesom Wike to order.
She said the estate, which is located in Life Camp area in FCT, is the property of Paulosa Nigeria Limited, a company owned by Col Ogbebor, a civil war hero and one of the first generation officers in the Nigerian Army.
Lori-Ogbebor, who said this in an interview, said the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, had issued a notice of quit on November 22, 2024, and went ahead to reallocate the property on December 9.
She added that her findings at Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, indicated that the estate was reallocated to a company that has a three-time member of the House of Representatives as Director.
Lori-Ogbebor said Certificate of Ownership was issued three weeks after the notice was issued to the management of the estate.
Consequently, the elder stateswoman called on President Tinubu to call the leadership of the FCT Ministry to order, saying it is unjust to revoke the property, which was rightly acquired by her late husband, who fought for the unity of the country and whose company, Paulosa, was among the leading firms who constructed prominent infrastructure in FCT.
According to her, “my husband went to Abuja and worked there. He wasn’t a land grabber. My husband was among those whose sweat contributed in building the Abuja we have today. He gave people hope to come to Abuja. He never collected any land. My husband got his land rightfully like any other Nigerian. Paulosa is a company that brought Italians, Lebanese to work in this country. And they are there to date. They were all given land certificates. Later, they were told to revalidate, which they did. After revalidation, they were told they were now free to apply permanently for this land. My dear husband constructed the sewage system in Abuja. My dear husband died during COVID-19 outbreak. He had children. The children paid ten million naira to regularize. When they demanded receipt FCT officials said they were not ready yet. That was during Mohammed Musa. El-Rufai came, it was the same thing. At some point, they said the area was not surveyed that they needed to survey it. The children paid for the survey to the FCDA.
“Everytime they would say the file is with the Minister. When Wike came, on November 22, 2024, he sent a quit notice, the children were surprised. I couldn’t even imagine it. He followed it up with a demolition notice on the 9th. The occupants were asked to quit that they are now staying there illegally.
“I don’t want my husband’s legacy to be destroyed. He served this country well. Whatever it is they want us to pay again, they children will pay it now. It will be an justice to the memory of Col Ogbebor if the estate is destroyed and given to another person. He didn’t bring any money back home. The only legacy he has that bears his name is this estate. The sad thing here is that the property was reallocated to a company with the name of a three-time House of Representatives member, who has ties with Wike as Director. I went to CAC and I have the proof now. All I am asking is for the President to call Wike to order. This is our country. The revocation of lands in Abuja should be probbed. Why would land be grabbed from those who laboured for it? Where was he when Abuja was a forest? Mr. President whose name is being polluted should order the probe. Enough is enough. I have asked my lawyers to file a case in court on the matter. The land grabbing in Abuja won’t help this country.
