Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Public Communications and New Media, says the minister did not allocate land to any of his children in the FCT.
Olayinka, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, described a publication claiming that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike had allocated 2,082 hectares of land to one of his sons in Maitama and Asokoro as “falsehood”.
The publication claimed that Joaquin Wike, the minister’s son, had received at least 2,000 hectares, or 40,000 plots, in Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape and other parts of Abuja.
Olayinka insisted that not a single plot of land had been allocated to any of Wike’s children.
According to him, there is currently nowhere in Asokoro and Maitama that the minister can get a 2,082-hectare of land to allocate to anyone.
He asked the publisher of the report to provide evidence of any land allocation bearing the name of any of Wike’s children.
He said that the allegation was simply a falsehood designed to defame and malign the FCT minister.
“Even though it is the right of the minister and members of his family, both immediate and extended to own lands anywhere in Nigeria, including the FCT, provided all necessary conditions are met, no land has been allocated to any of his children.
“In the publication, a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, for Agricultural purposes was the only evidence used to justify the claim.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria got land allocation in Bwari Area Council for the purpose of farming.
“So, what’s wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?
“Therefore, the publication, claiming that the FCT minister allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son, is false and should be disregarded,” the spokesman said.
