The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved the revocation of about 60 plots of the land within the costly Central District Area of Abuja and cancelled the revocation of all diplomatic plots previously revoked by the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nasir el-Rufai in 2004.

The council took the decisions yesterday at its weekly meeting presided over by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the weekly meeting, Information and Communications Minister Dora Akunyili said the resolutions were to pave way for the restoration of the Boulevard project in the Central District Area initiated by former FCT Minister Aliyu Modibbo in 2008.

Akunyili argued that it was wrong in the first place to revoke lands allocated for embassies noting that it was not possible to give embassies deadlines as they represents countries.

Speaking on the verdicts, FCT Minister Bala Mohammed said foreign countries are at liberty to develop their plots in accordance with to their conveniences noting such actions are capable upsetting diplomatic relations.

He said Nigeria is equally keeping undeveloped plots of land across many countries that it has embassies, and if those plots were not revoked for lack of development, then it would be wrong for Nigeria to revoke diplomatic plots.

Akunyili said the FCT minister, on the assumption of duty, inaugurated a 17 man committee on the 27th April 2010 to access the problems of land Administration in FCT with a view to recommending ways to reposition it.

She said the committee conducted a verification exercise on all land allocations made from 2007 to date and mass housing allocations from 2004 to date and recommended ways of repositioning Abuja Geo-Information System (AGIS).

at the end of the day, el rufai still remain innocent while while men with less crimes are made the real fugitives.
tell me what jonathan is doing in bringing back those who ran away from justice?
obasanjo and his boys are in charge of this nation as long as we see the pictures of jonathan.
jonathan betrayed what yar adua started in reducing excessive powers among the power drunk dictators.

Yet we call El Rufai a saint

and this is is a good example of why we will never progress in the country because we are just going one step forward and one step backward : take a look at this
1978: master plan developed and lands allocated for a particular use
somewhere between 1990 and 1999 : land allocated for diplomats
somewhere between 1999-2007: previous decision reversed,land reallocated according to 1978 master plan
today: previous decision reversed, land reallocated to diplomats
tomorrow:, decision reversed again

merry-go-rounding, i don't know how well and deep the govt thinks before they make decision, and i doubt whether each present govt considers critically the reason for the previous govt's decision on any issue before reversing it/issuing its own, no damn CONTINUITY in govt, shame

It was the revocation that was wrong, not the El Rufai - FEC cannot prosecute El Rufai simply because he revoke land belonging to Embassies.

Federal Executive Council decision to upturn the revoked land was to maintain positive diplomatic relationships with the affected nation and not on the personality concerned.

Sometimes we are too quick to jump to conclusions. The actions of El-Rufai should be evaluated objectively. The FCT laws stipulates that if lands are left under developed after a particular period of time the FCT minister reserves the right to revoke same. He acted within the law in this case. So if the FEC which is superior to the FCT minister decides to revalidate such plots of land to forestall diplomatic friction, then its okay.

I am not trying to hold brief for Mallam El-Rufai neither do I support all his actions when he was the minister of FCT; the ruth remains that since he left, other Ministers have not done up to a quarter tenth of what he dis as minister of the FCT.

dis el rufai man sef

soldier come, soldier go

barrack remain


******MOVES ON******

He remain the best FCT Minister this country has ever produce.

Nice one Kawkab!

kawkab:

Sometimes we are too quick to jump to conclusions. The actions of El-Rufai should be evaluated objectively. The FCT laws stipulates that if lands are left under developed after a particular period of time the FCT minister reserves the right to revoke same. He acted within the law in this case. So if the FEC which is superior to the FCT minister decides to revalidate such plots of land to forestall diplomatic friction, then its okay.

I am not trying to hold brief for Mallam El-Rufai neither do I support all his actions when he was the minister of FCT; the ruth remains that since he left, other Ministers have not done up to a quarter tenth of what he dis as minister of the FCT.

Please tell them! sometimes i wonder if Nigerians understand simple english again.
There was nothing in the story that says El Rufai revoked those plots and that he abused his office in the re-allocation. When the regulations says you cannot keep a plot undeveloped for a period of time and the period elapsed then appropriate action must be taken. So if the action is revocation then so be it. El Rufai acted within the ambit of the law and i see no reason why he is not innocent at least within the context of this story

Thanks for the article!

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