Melaye: Jonathan, Diezani, Secondus benefitted from illegal allocation of land in Abuja

Former president Goodluck Jonathan and Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, were listed among the illegal beneficiaries of Mataima Hills in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Uche Secondus, acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Mohammed Adoke, the immediate past attorney-general of the federation; Isa Yuguda, former Bauchi state governor; Olusegun Aganga, former minister of trade and investment; and Andrew Azazi, former national security adviser, who is now late, were also mentioned.

Dino Melaye, chairman of the senate committee on FCT, disclosed this on Friday during the budget defence of the ministry of the FCT.

Describing the allocation of the lands as illegal, Melaye said steps were being taken to reverse them.

“I cannot understand in a very sane and responsible society, why some selected and powerful few will appropriate our common patrimony to themselves,” he said.

“A landmark like the Mataima Hills. I went there I almost wept. The directors were there. Roads being constructed between plantations and green trees.

“The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria just came back from a summit on climate change and discussions there is for everybody to go back and make the environment green and when we are asking that we should improve on green areas because of climatic and environmental conditions, you are now sharing the available ones. And this one is not just an ordinary area but a hill that has historical importance.

“Unfortunately, these lands have been allocated and shared among the so-called powerful Nigerians. This is absurd! This is wicked! This is treacherous! This is unacceptable. 30 individuals and companies shared among themselves.”

He added that the 8th senate would not tolerate any move to change Abuja and urged Mohammed Bello, the current minister of FCT, to ensure that the original plan for Abuja was restored.

“The beautiful Maitama Hill has been dissipated and shared by people who refer to themselves as powerful Nigerians,” he said.

“This is not acceptable to the 8th Senate and to this committee and this committee, in the interest of Nigerians, will not allow any construction to continue on the Maitama Hill.

“Apart from the fact that we have stopped work, the green there must be replanted and the trees immediately restored.

“We will not, out of fear, refuse to do our work. So, this morning, I will announce to Nigerians the powerful Nigerians, who shared the Maitama Hill among themselves and we will not stop at that.

“Nigeria belongs to us, the FCT is the beauty of this country, modelled after the Capital of Brazil.”