Headlines

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that henceforth, obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) in Abuja will now require a National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN).

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, November 24, Wike further disclosed that existing landowners in the capital must get recertification to incorporate these new features.

According to him, he has been refraining from signing C-of-Os during his tenure as the FCT minister to introduce enhanced security measures, such as the inclusion of NIN for individuals and BVN for corporate bodies.

“There are a lot of discrepancies, a lot of cloning of C-of-Os, so we have come up with an idea that every allottee who seeks and applies for a C-of-O must supply his NIN; this is one of the features we are going to put in the new C-of-O,” Wike said.

“If a corporate body doesn’t have an NIN and they have a property, they must put their BVN. So many persons have not registered, and this will make them go and re-register.”

Addressing the issue of existing landlords with C-of-Os, Wike stated that they would only be required to pay a nominal fee for recertification.

“For everyone who has a C-of-O, they will come for a recertification, so that we can incorporate the NIN or BVN,” he declared.

“Those who had a C-of-O before don’t need to pay money again; the highest they can pay is N50,000, and corporate bodies will pay N100,000. It helps in terms of security; it also helps to improve our revenue generation.”

“There are people who own seven properties, so this will identify them so they can pay taxes.”

Furthermore, Wike highlighted the benefits of this initiative in identifying property owners accurately for tax purposes.

He also addressed the proposed N5 million fee for C-of-O from the annual ground rent, explaining that the fee is based on land ownership rather than the structure built on it.

“The task force proposed N5 million, and the stakeholders said let it be reduced. They asked, ‘If it’s going to be on properties four-bedroom or bed-bedroom?’, again, you have to understand that the C-of-O is not based on the building but the land. The only difference is the annual ground rent.

“The one with a two-bedroom property cannot pay the same as the person with a three-bedroom property,” he said.

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has revealed a fresh plot to kick out Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State in the next election.

Ganduje said the National Working Committee (NWC) is repositioning the Rivers State chapter of the party to win the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Leading reporters reports that Rivers State is currently under the control of the opposition PDP.

The governor, Fubara, recently parted ways with his political godfather, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the FCT minister under the APC-led federal government.

Speaking during the inauguration of the state caretaker committee at the APC national secretariat on Friday in Abuja, Ganduje lamented that since 2015, APC had been suffering some setbacks in the state due to intra-party dispute and litigations.

Recall that the NWC had on Wednesday dissolved the Rivers executives at all levels and constituted a 7-member caretaker committee consisting of loyalists of a former governor of the state and current minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, led by Tony Okocha.

Ganduje said: “We have decided to reform the party. This won’t be possible without the leadership in the states.

We want you to make history for our party so that during the next election, we will have Rivers State for APC. You contributed in electing the government of today (president). I can beat my chest; we are proud of you,” the APC national declared.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State of dismantling the political structures he laid in the state within three months of assuming office.

Speaking in a media chat with TVC News, Wike said he was instrumental in Fubara’s emergence as governor and had even laid the foundation for his second term by asking him to continue the Ring Road project he inaugurated.

However, he expressed disappointment that Fubara, instead of building on his legacy, chose to destroy the political structures that brought him into power.

Wike further alleged that Fubara sent people to burn the state House of Assembly in an attempt to stop his impeachment. He questioned the rationale behind this action, noting that the impeachment process takes time.

He added that the reason he is keeping calm is because he respects President Tinubu and won’t want to disobey Tinubu’s order.

He said: “We never knew that it will take you three months to scatter the political structure that picked you up. What is painful is seeing these propaganda and lies that I was angry. Did he (Fubara) buy form? Be grateful in your life in all circumstances.

“I will not allow anybody to crumble our political structure. I told him if you do this ring-road your second tenure would be assured, I took him to Germany to meet Julius Berger and they promised to do the road in three years which is the year leading to election. I told him if you do this road nobody will challenge you in Rivers State.

“Anything that will make me disrespect Mr President count me out, he disobeyed the President, disobeyed the Vice President. When the law speaks, thuggery, militancy, and ethnicity will run away.”

Wike’s comments come against the backdrop of a simmering political crisis in Rivers State. The crisis comes just months after the inauguration of Fubara as governor on May 29.

President Bola Tinubu has waded into the feud between Ondo Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and Deputy Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

A source said President Tinubu has invited members of the Ondo Assembly to Abuja Friday. 

Prominent elders and traditional rulers in the week appealed to President Tinubu to intervene in the political crisis to avert looming anarchy.

It was gathered the Ondo Assembly has been divided with 11 lawmakers now in support of Aiyedatiwa.

Sources said the 11 lawmakers were reached out to by some forces outside Ondo State.

Read Also: Our plan to repositioneducation sector, by Tinubu

A sitting of the lawmakers scheduled for Friday was said to have been pushed by the 11 lawmakers.

One of them, who pleaded anonymity, said the sitting was part of the plans hatched in Abuja with the 11 lawmakers to declare Governor Akeredolu incapacitated and declare Aiyedatiwa Governor.

Speaker Oladiji Olamide, who confirmed the meeting with President Tinubu, said the outcome of the meeting would determine the next line of action.

Oladiji said the scheduled Friday’s plenary was to declare Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor and not to declare Akeredolu as incapacitated.

He said the meeting with President Tinubu would hold on Friday afternoon.

“Our sitting was to declare Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor. The Governor is still alive,” he said. 

There is palpable tension among members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and those of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the Appeal Court delivers judgement on Ladi Adebutu’s petition against Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Adebutu, the candidate of the PDP, had earlier approached the tribunal to challenge the victory of Abiodun in the March 18 governorship election.

The PDP candidate had alleged that the election that returned Abiodun did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

He also claimed that the election was marred with irregularities and corrupt practices, adding that over 40,000 voters were disenfranchised due to violence.

He asked the court to nullify the election and declare him winner.

But, the Hamidu Kunaza-led tribunal dismissed Adebutu’s petition, saying it lacked merit.

Not satisfied, Adebutu proceeded to the Appeal Court to seek redress, praying that the judgement of the trial tribunal be set aside.

Leading Reporters learnt that members of both parties have left Ogun State to witness the court proceeding in Lagos State.

The sitting will start by 9 am at the Court of Appeal sitting in Igbosere, 

Akwa Ibom State government and the Traditional Rulers Council (TRC) in the state have agreed to settle their differences over the amended Traditional Rulers Law, Cap 155 out of court.

Some royal fathers had dragged the Akwa Ibom State government, the State Assembly, as well as the Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk to court over the amendment of TRC Law Cap 155 which confers life and permanent Presidency on Oku Ibom Ibibio, Ntenyin Etuk.

The plaintiffs, including all the Paramount Rulers of Annang extraction, Paramount Rulers of Urueffong Oruko, Okobo, Mbo, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and those of Oron and Udung Uko Local Government Areas, who were joined in the suit, sought the rotation of the revered traditional stool.

But at the hearing of the case on Thursday, counsel to the plaintiffs, Barrister Ekpenyong Ntekim, a former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, leading Barrister Jumbo Udom and five others, made an oral application to the Court for leave to explore settlement out of Court and for a short adjournment for parties to report settlement.

Ntekim said his application was premised on the desire of parties to restore and maintain peace in the State.

But the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN represented by the Director of Civil Litigation, Barrister Bassey Ekanem was not satisfied with the oral application.

Although he confirmed that the State Attorney General and the former Attorney General, Barrister Ntekim met with the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno to broker a way forward for a peaceful resolution of the dispute, he argued that the plaintiffs ought to have made a written application in line with the terms of settlement.

The objection of the Attorney General’s representative was overruled by the Court, citing the case of Habib Bank Plc and Lodigiani Nigeria Limited reported in 2010, where the Court of Appeal said trial Courts have a duty to encourage parties to settle disputes out of court.

The trial Judge, Justice Archibong said one thing that stands out from the counsels’ arguments was their desire for peace and settlement of the dispute and that the form or manner of application should not be a stumbling block.

Counsels to the plaintiffs, Barrister Ekpenyong Ntekim and Barrister Uyobong Jumbo Udom while speaking with journalists, expressed optimism that given the positive disposition of the State Government, the dispute will be resolved soonest.

They expressed their gratitude to the court for granting the parties leave to explore settlement out of court.

Two factions of the Labour Party (LP), on Thursday, exchanged words at the premises of the federal high court in Abuja.

The altercation between the two factions occurred shortly after the court adjourned for hearing, an application to discontinue a suit against Athan Achonu, the LP’s governorship candidate in Imo in the November 11 election.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, adjourned the hearing to January 11 after Kehinde Edun, who announced an appearance for LP (1st plaintiff), said he was in court to file a discontinuance notice in the matter.

Edun, who also introduced himself as the national legal adviser of LP, said “on behalf of the 1st plaintiff, we want to inform the court that the 1st plaintiff was joined without authorisation”.

“I am here to file a notice of discontinuance. We have no case against the defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission),” he told the court.

Taken aback by Edun’s submission, Anderson Asemota, who had been appearing for all the plaintiffs, including the LP, said the matter was slated for hearing.

Asemota said he was served with a notice of joinder by Achonu, through his lawyer, Okwudili Anozie, who had earlier announced his appearance as a party seeking to be joined.

“The national legal adviser said the suit was filed without authorisation,” the judge told Asemota.

But Asemota said Edun was not the party’s national legal adviser.

Asemota stated that the LP, whom he represented in court, had not briefed him about the discontinuance of the suit.

The lawyer added that he had not been served with the notice Edun planned to file.

He argued that as a procedure, Edun had to be in the matter first by applying to be joined before he would notify him of his plan to file a notice of discontinuance.

The judge then asked Edun if he had served Asemota with the application.

“I will serve them now,” Edun responded.

Ekwo subsequently adjourned the matter to January 11 to hear the notice of discontinuance.

Asemota represented the Lamidi Apapa-led faction, while Edun appeared for the Julius Abure group of the LP.

Shortly after the adjournment of the matter, some members loyal to the Apapa-led faction appeared in court, challenging Edun’s move to discontinue the suit.

The development resulted in a loud exchange of words, prompting the officers of the King’s guard, a security outfit, and some staff members of the court to intervene.

The Apapa-led faction had sought an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from “recognising any other person or persons laying claim to the LP governorship ticket for the November 11 election other than Joseph Ukaegbu that was elected from the primary conducted by its national working committee (NWC) on April 16.

The faction also sought an order of mandatory injunction directing or compelling INEC to recognise, upload and publish Ukaegbu’s name as the party’s governorship candidate in Imo, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed with the ex-parte application.

Also, the group requested an order of mandatory injunction directing INEC to upload Apapa’s name as the acting national chairman of the LP.

But the judge declined the motion, directing them to put INEC on notice to respond to the motion.

In its response, INEC asked the court to dismiss Apapa’s motion seeking to replace the party’s governorship candidate in Imo.

INEC in its affidavit to show cause pursuant to the court order, told the judge that the plaintiffs’ suit was statute-barred.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has recounted how officials of the Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, issued him fake Certificate of Occupancy, C of O when he was governor of Rivers State.

Wike said some FCTA officials issued three fake C of Os on his plot of land after paying N57 million.

He disclosed this during a meeting with estate developers in Abuja on Tuesday

The minister decried the rate at which fake C of Os were issued, adding that henceforth, N5 million would be paid to acquire a C of O.

According to Wike: “When I was governor of Rivers State, we had three C of Os from FCT. It turned out that all were fake.

“The C of O was coming from FCTA as a government, not as an individual. The plots allocated or said to be allocated, we paid money

“When I now sent the Liaison Officer, the people from FCTA took him to the land and later, we discovered that it was fake land. Look at the money we had paid.

“The people disappeared. We could not find them again. Over N57 million that we paid. Why? Because that was how it was being done in the FCT. I have said that it will not work again.