River Park Estate: FCT has no ownership agreement with Paulo Homes – Wike

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed claims that Paulo Homes Limited is the owner of River Park Estate, Abuja.

He made the clarification when he spoke on Channels Television’s on Thursday night.

Wike stated that the FCT signed an agreement with JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, promoted by Sir. Samuel Esson Jonah to develop the estate on Plot 4 Cadastral, Zone E30, Lugbe, Abuja, during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said the original owner, Jonah, in turn brought in a third party (Paulo Homes) to help them obtain building approvals from FCT Development Control.

“A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, S.I. Ameh, wrote a petition, and I set up a ministerial panel headed by the General Counsell. The General Counsel is like the Attorney General of other states, saying ‘go and look into this’.

“Their lawyers made presentations. First of all, we don’t have any business with Paulo Homes. There is no business between the FCT and Paulo Homes,. The only people we signed an agreement with are JonahCapital Limited,” Wike said. The minister noted that although JonahCapital breached the agreement with the FCT by bringing in Paulo Homes, which had continued to obtain Certificate of Occupancies (CofOs) for buyers without a valid lease agreement. He added that its development lease had expired.

Wike stated that the ministry decided to demolish the property hurriedly developed by Paulo Homes, withdrew all the CofOs issued to the company on behalf of the unwary buyers, to give them directly to the Nigerian owners to protect them.

Providing details of the latest demolitions at the estate, Wike said: “I know the system and how they operate, they will now take it to court. By the time the minister is out, and when he leaves, another minister will come, and they will be able to settle.

“I told my people, let’s get everything down. This is why things are getting wrong in this country – you want to do it and get your way, I will not allow it.”