Pointblank News: ANOTHER N100 MILLION LAND DEAL ROCKS OIL AND GAS FREE ZONE                        ...Kaduna Governor, Presidency Linked

ANOTHER N100 MILLION LAND DEAL ROCKS OIL AND GAS FREE ZONE                      
 ...Kaduna Governor, Presidency Linked
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admin on 25/01/2012 22:22:00

Noble Abe, elder brother of Senator Magnus Abe who probed oil subsidy
beneficiaries is currently enmeshed in a N100 Million land scandal in the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Noble Abe, elder brother of Senator Magnus Abe who probed oil subsidy
beneficiaries is currently enmeshed in a N100 Million land scandal in the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Abe, Managing Director, MD, of the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne, Rivers State is
currently under investigation by the Ministry of Trade and Investment over a
N32.8 Million contract fraud following Pointblanknews.com exclusive report.
Mr. Abe in connivance with top Management of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority
(OGFZA), Onne, Rivers State plan to acquire the controversial piece of land
worth N100million in the Wamba District of Abuja without due process.
The Agency has no such budgetary provision for land, according to
pointblanknews.com findings.
He plans to sell the 17-hectare land for N400 Million when the Abuja
Geographical Information System, AGIS, completes allocation.
The Manager of the Authority in Abuja, Jamil Mohammed Bashir is coordinating the
illegal purchase.
In an undated letter obtained by Pointblanknews.com, Bashir wrote to the
Management of OGFZA, stating that N100million would be needed to acquire the
land, which is located behind the Apo Legislative Quarters near the Spare Parts
Sellers Shops, Abuja.
Bashir advised that the land may be later sold by the Management for N400million
after being allocated to the Authority by AGIS.
In the internal memo, Bashir assured that the land would be allocated within two
weeks if the procedure were followed as he had allegedly solicited the help of
Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, the allocating Minister and the
Presidency over the issue with the FCDA.
It is not immediately clear what role or interest Kaduna State Governor
represents in the land deal.
The procedure to be followed to get the 17 hectares of virgin land, according to
Bashir’s letter, was divided into financial and Technical levels for which
N8million would be required to be provided immediately by OGFZA Management.
The demanded amount is to be spent on the Registration fee from AGIS (N100,
000); Registration with Mass Housing Department (N250, 000); Registration with
FCDA/FCT (N150, 000); Systematic Design to show the distribution of various
house types (N2million) and cost analysis (N5million).
Efforts to reach the Minister of Trade and Investment to clarify if the Ministry
is aware of the land deal proved abortive.
Also, the Legal Adviser, one Barrister Sule and Assistant General Manager
(Finance), one Mr. Adekunle could not reached for clarifications.
Leslie Vera & Associates had on November 3, 2011 petitioned the ICPC requesting
an investigation into the operations of OGFZA as, according to it, “there are
evidences of fraud there”.