Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied reports claiming that he allocated 2,082 hectares of land to one of his sons in Maitama and Asokoro districts of Abuja.
Wike, in a statement signed by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, on Thursday, described the allegations as “another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT Minister.”
The FCT minister stated that not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of his children.
He accused the authors of the publication of being “quack journalists” who lacked fundamental training in journalism, even as he further questioned, “In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT Minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”
Olayinka expressed concern over the professionalism in journalism, urging, “Only quack journalists will go to town with the story of allocation of 2,082 hectares of land in Asokoro and Maitama.”
He challenged the online publisher of the report to provide evidence of any land allocation associated with the Minister’s children.
“The attention of the Minister has been drawn to yet another malicious falsehood coming from the same elements whose job is to defame and malign him,” Olayinka stated.
“Even though it is the right of the Minister and his family to own lands anywhere in Nigeria, no land has been allocated to any of his children,” he stated
He clarified that the only documentation cited in the publication was a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited for agricultural purposes.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria, obtained a land allocation in Bwari Area Council for the purpose of farming. There’s nothing wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture,” he stated.
Olayinka stated that the allegations concerning the FCT Minister’s supposed land allocation to his son are “false and should be disregarded.”
