”How will the government allocate land for more than 20 years for an organisation to develop and they did not develop it” – Wike speaks on how he revoked Julius Berger land after dinner with the MD

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has shared how he revoked the title of an abandoned land allocated to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc shortly after having dinner with the company’s Managing Director.

On Monday, October 21, Wike made this revelation during the official flag-off ceremony for the Design and Construction of 40 Judges’ Quarters in the capital. He mentioned that 70% of the project funds had already been released following approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last month. Out of the 40 units to be built, 20 will be allocated to the FCT High Court, 10 to the Federal High Court, and 10 to the Court of Appeal.

Speaking to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Wike recounted how the land for the new quarters was acquired.

“My Lord, let me bring to your notice. You have seen this land here. When we were looking for where to get land to build. I was driving around looking for empty land and I got here and saw this empty land.

I saw the big post ‘Julius Berger’. I didn’t talk. I called the director of lands, ‘who owns that land?’ And he said Julius Berger. When was it allocated? He said about 15, 20 years ago. 15, 20 years ago? Nothing has been done? I didn’t bother.

So, I invited the MD Julius Berger. He came and we had dinner. I didn’t talk about the land. The next day, he was in the office and he saw the revocation letter as a matter of public interest.

He called me and said ‘but I had dinner with you’. I said ‘yes; we had dinner but we didn’t discuss the land’.

How will the government allocate land for more than 20 years for organisation to develop and they did not develop it? Thank God they did not develop it and now we can have it,” Wike told the gathering.