I revoked Julius Berger land after dinning with MD – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has narrated how he revoked the title of a land allocated to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

The giant construction firm has assets in different parts of the country.

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Speaking during the official flag-off ceremony of the Design and Construction of 40 Judges’ Quarters at the nation’s capital, on Monday, Wike said the land upon which the quarters would be built was owned by the construction company.

Addressing the CJN, Wike said, “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.”

He said 70 percent of funds for the project was released after its approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Wike further explained out of the 40 units, 20 would be allocated to the FCT High Court, 10 to the Federal High Court, and 10 to the Court of Appeal.