OCTOGENARIAN wife of Paul Ogbebor, a late retired colonel, Rita Lori has stated that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike was a teenager when her husband contributed to building the capital city years ago.
84-year-old Rita Lori-Ogbebor, joined by her sons Osaruonanen Ogbebor and Ikponmwosa Paul-Ogbebor, said this in Abuja on Friday, December 13, at a press conference following a clash with Wike over land supposedly belonging to an estate management company known as Paulosa Nigeria Ltd owned by her late husband.
Issues surrounding the seizure of properties have generated a lot of controversy in the past few days. Ogbebor has accused the FCT minister of forcefully taking the land from her family.
Ogbebor reiterated at the press conference that she’d rather die than appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the land dispute between Paulosa and the FCT authorities.
She emphasised that her late husband was a key contributor to Abuja’s development and expects those close to the president to recognize her and bring the matter to his attention.
The Octogenarian noted that she doesn’t expect the President to personally know her, but rather the leaders and advisors surrounding him should be aware of individuals like herself who have contributed significantly to the country’s progress.
She emphasised that when issues arise, these leaders should intervene and, if necessary, escalate the matter to the president.
“My husband was one of those who built Abuja; they gave him a piece of land to work as an engineer. He brought people from all over the world to work with him. Now, after 42 years, they want to demolish it and give it to Chinda. Who is Chinda?‘ she asked.
The ICIR reported that following accusations of land grabbing against the FCT Minister, he has insisted on the continuous demolition of properties in the nation’s capital, stating that he will not be swayed by ‘blackmail.’.
In his remarks, at the distribution of operational vehicles to security agencies at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, December 12, Wike said he would not be deterred by blackmail or public outcry.
He described the actions taken by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) as necessary to reclaim land unlawfully occupied.
According to him, the structures being demolished by the FCDA are illegal buildings constructed on government land.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja, we are not afraid of blackmail,” Wike stated.
The minister added that the properties being demolished not only posed security risks but had been constructed on lands that rightfully belonged to the government.
Recently, residents of Life Camp, a community in the city, protested against attempts to demolish Paulosa Homes, which they claimed was being carried out under Wike’s directive.
The event was followed by a video of Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, during his visit to the community, accusing the FCT Minister of wrongfully revoking people’s ownership rights.
Meanwhile, the minister’s comments came as the Senate has ordered a probe into the demolitions as the matter has dominated discussions in most media outlets across the country.
A reporter with the ICIR
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