The House of Representatives on Tuesday queried the legality of Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL) to possess 289 hectares under the land swap programme in the FCT.
Heman Hembe, (APC – Benue), the Chairman, House Committee on FCT, said the company had no business holding the land if there was no contract agreement documents to legalise the land acquisition.
Hembe spoke at the House of Representatives’ public hearing, investigating alleged malpractices in award of land in FCT to 25 companies under the Land Swap programme.
Hembe, however, expressed the committee’s commitment to be fair and balanced in determining if due process was followed as provided by the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and Land Use Act.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the inability of AICL to pay N350 million initial deposit, which is a prerequisite for the acquisition of the land.
He further said that the company’s failure to pay 15 per cent of the total contract sum after 90 days the contract was approved, nullifies the agreement.
The committee, therefore, requested the AICL to submit documents of approval of contract, proposals and Memorandum of Understanding.
“We requested from AICL all relevant information and documents related to the Land Swap programme. “
Mr Sani Yakubu, Head of Business Development, AICL, said the company was still seeking for credible investors that would invest in the scheme and develop the allocated land.
Yakubu who admitted that the company was given the allocation under the Land Swap programme, said: “we did accept the offer, but we did not have the document that said so. “
Former FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, however, insisted that the administration did not engage the AICL in the land swap scheme.
Mohammed said the company did not meet the requirements and was not engaged in the programme.
He said the programme was geared towards fast-tracking the development of various districts across the nation’s capital city.
According to him, the land swap deal followed due process to close infrastructure gap in the city.
He said that only N2 billion was so far invested by government for the development of 10 districts.
“Under the Land Swap policy, government set out to make up for the deficits in financing the development of the district by engaging private developers and investors to fund the development of these districts in the interest of Nigerians, “ Mohammed said.
While declaring the five-day investigative public hearing open, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, said there was need to do the needful in developing infrastructure in the districts.
“We must also be mindful and ensure the process of allocation of land in the land swap programme did not negate the master plan and intentions of the ideals of the founders of the FCT, “ Dogara said.
