Diaspora Nigerians ask House to probe alleged corruption in Lagos – Calabar Highway divertion

The House of Representatives has begun investigations into allegations of bribery and corruption against the officials of the Federal Ministry of Works over alleged  diversion of the Lagos – Calabar Expressway in Okun Ajah Community in Lagos State.

The Reps move was said to have followed a petition by Nigerians in the Diaspora  to the House to look critically into the matter .

The petition which was signed by Femi Adekoya, Olawale Oluwa and Stella Okengwu also called on the legislators to look at what they described as “conspiracy ” in the diversion of the expressway.

The petition reads, ” We, Nigerians in diaspora, wish to bring to your attention the alarming illegal destruction of property, intimidation, and the falsification of facts concerning our investments in WinHomes Estate, Okun Ajah.

“Following his inauguration on May 29, 2023, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has actively encouraged Nigerians abroad to return home and invest in the nation’s development. As real estate investors, we partnered WinHomes and its associates, Engineer Stella Okengwu, Engineer Femi Adekoya and Mr. Olawale Oluwa (Pelle Homes), to contribute to this vision. 

“We collaborated to acquire a significant parcel of land, supporting our esteemed President’s economic agenda with the intention of comprehensive development.

“Motivated by our commitment to invest in Nigeria, we inspired many fellow diasporans to join us. Consequently, 70% of our subscribers, who are also diasporans, invested in the WinHomes Investment Scheme Portal, purchasing properties for personal and investment purposes, thereby injecting much-needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Nigeria.” 

They pointed out that “we conducted thorough due diligence and obtained all necessary documentation, including compliance with requirements set by the Lagos State Government. 

“This due diligence confirmed that the property possesses a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government for the Okun Ajah community. We also secured the Survey Plan, Winhomes Governor’s Consent, and Winhomes Clearance from the Coastal Road right of way from the Ministry of physical planning, Lagos State, further validating the title of the land.

“However, without prior notice, on October 5, 2024, a contingent of military personnel stormed the WinHomes property, claiming orders from the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi.

“They proceeded to brutalise staff,  destroy personal property, and instil fear within the community. They also vandalized WinHomes property and confiscated building materials valued at hundreds of millions of naira, asserting they were acting under direct orders from the Federal Ministry of Works.”

The diasporans said the action ordered by David had caused irreparable harm to their investments and efforts of Nigerians in the diaspora, adding that the minister leveraged on the authority of the President to inflict pain and distress on “our community after we had secured all necessary titles. His conduct undermines the integrity of our investments entirely.“

They added, “The circumstances surrounding the demolition of WinHomes Estate are deeply troubling and raise serious concerns regarding the Ministry of Works’ conduct. 

“We have recently learned of allegations that residents of Ocean Bay paid substantial amounts to ministry officials to divert the coastal road, thereby avoiding the demolition of their properties, which violated the original alignment. When we inquired about these allegations, the Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, indicated that only the Minister could respond.

“We reached out to the Minister to express our concerns, but he dismissed them. Subsequently, various news outlets reported allegations of bribery and corruption within the Ministry of Works.

“Moreover, we informed the Minister about seven pending legal cases against the Ministry of Works concerning Okun Ajah. In response the Hon. Minister stated that its only God and The President that can save Winhomes Estates.

“One justification provided by the Hon. Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, for the diversion affecting our property was to protect an MTN cable hub. However, this cable hub is not located in our estate or close to Okun Ajah; it is approximately 7 km away located at Okun Mopo.

“This isolated attack raises several pressing questions: Is the Federal Ministry of Works aware of the bribery and corruption allegations and is deliberately ignoring them? Is this an act of retaliation for speaking out and advocating for what is right? Is there a conspiracy involving the Federal Controller of Works, Mrs. Olukorede Keisha, and the Okun Ajah community?“

The petitioners urged the Chairman of the Committee on Works, House of Representatives, to investigate the allegations and the illegal actions taken by the Federal Controller of Works, legal documents approved by the Lagos State Government concerning the aforementioned property.”