By Philip Yatai
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday refuted the land grabbing claim by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company’s (AEDC), describing it as “malicious”.
The acting director, Department of Development Control, Mr Bashir Sunusi, said in a statement in Abuja that no amount of blackmail would stop the department from executing its statutory duties.
Sunusi recalled that the AEDC on July 10 had alleged an invasion and unlawful encroachment of its C2 Maitama Substation by land grabbers.
The company alleged that the land grabbers were supposedly led by an Assistant Director in the department, Mr Chinedu Okoro, describing the allegation as “defamatory, misleading, malicious and baseless”.
He explained that contrary to the sensationalised narrative to whip up public sentiment, the actions of the officials on July 8, were purely statutory, transparent, and professional.
He said that the department received a formal complaint from a lawful allottee holding a valid Certificate of Occupancy duly signed by the Minister of the FCT.
He added that the landowner reported lack of access to his property due to illegal obstructions by AEDC officials.
“A team comprising the Maitama District Officers with surveyors visited the site to ascertain the boundaries and discovered no permanent structure or fence, but a barbed wire fence used to barricade the area illegally.
“To determine if there was any actual encroachment or trespass on the AEDC substation, the department deployed surveyors to establish the precise boundary beacons using standard equipment.
“During the exercise, the Chief Operating Officer of AEDC, Blessing Ogwe, alongside Mrs Christine Emma-Kalu, an Assistant Director, with a team of policemen arrived at the scene.
“After a civil introduction, the AEDC leadership invited our team to a resolution meeting at their office by 2:00 p.m. Our officials honoured the invitation and waited up to 5:00 p.m. but the company’s management did not show up,” he said.
On allegation of power disruption, the acting director said that the officials did not touch, alter or damage any electricity cables, structure or network infrastructure.
He added that the electricity supply was fully functional when the team departed the area.
“The FCTA Department of Development Control, therefore, views the public announcement by AEDC as a cheap, calculated attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of its team.
“No amount of cheap blackmail, media intimidation, or malicious publication will deter this department from carrying out its statutory responsibility of enforcing orderly development and protecting the right of residents’ access to land in FCT.
“If the AEDC has any legitimate claims on land disputes, the proper channel is to present their title documents to the Minister of the FCT, rather than resorting to cyber-bullying,” he said.
Sunusi called on the AEDC management to withdraw the defamatory publication and publish an unreserved public apology to the department and the affected officials in major national daily newspapers.
“Failure to do so will leave the department and the affected officials with no option but to seek full legal redress for defamation of character,” he said. (NAN(www.nannews.ng)