Posted by chesa chesa, Abuja on
Facts emerged yesterday that vice president Atiku Abubakar blew the whistle on the alleged irregularities in the sale of government houses in Lagos leading to the revocation of the sale by president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Facts emerged yesterday that vice president Atiku Abubakar blew the whistle on the alleged irregularities in the sale of government houses in Lagos leading to the revocation of the sale by president Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to the vice-president's spokes man, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyo Ojo, Atiku was offered to buy his official residence on 17, Ikoyi Crescent, Lagos at the cost of N534million.
However, Adinoyo Ojo said, the vice-president felt that the house, which served as the official resident of the nation's number two man since the Gowon's administration, should be retained in that capacity.
Also, in line with his concern for transparency, Atiku immediately alerted the president on the moral burden which the allocation had on the administration, prompting Obasanjo to agree to cancel the allocation before directing that the houses be advertised and sold to the public.
This has thus, put paid to speculations that the vice-president is one of the beneficiaries of the 207 government houses in Ikoyi, allocated to prominent Nigerians by the Housing and Urban Minister.
But as Nigerians await the response of the minister over the query by the president concerning the allocation, more revelations have come up over the botched sale.
Contrary to earlier reports, wife of the president, Stella Obasanjo and some of her siblings, are known to have benefited from eight of the houses.
They include, Dr. Yemisi Abebe with property at 12, Ikoyi, Avenue valued N80m, Dr. John Abebe at 1B, Inu close, valued at N84.800m, Mrs Franca Abebe, 7B Maroko close, valued at N57.6m and Mr Henry
Abebe, 23, Milverton Road, valued at N158.4m.
High court judge Roseline Okeje's N700m property tops price list.
Prominent civil servants whose names featured in the allocation include, the Head of Service, Yayale Ahmed, Group Managing Director of The NNPC, Funsho Kupolokun, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Charles Soludo, Acting Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, Deputy Chief of Staff at the presidency Mr. Olusola Akanmode and two directors with the NTA, Jimmy Atte and Grace Zemaye Egbagbe.
Of the governors, Adamu Muazu of Bauchi State, Donald Duke of Cross River, Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Peter Odili of River and Otunba Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, featured prominently.
However, in a quick reaction, the Ogun State governor in a statement made available to Saturday Independent and signed by his Information Commissioner, Niran Olu Malaolu denied that the governor had link with any of the property. He said 'we want to say it loud and clear that Otunba Gbenga Daniel has neither applied for nor got any allocation from the Federal government in Lagos".
Embattled senate president, Adolphus Wabara and his colleagues in the senate, Musiliu Obanikoro, Isa Maina and Azuta Mbata were also listed as beneficiaries. Also, included in the list is the Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara.
For the ministers, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo of Health, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Works, Frank Nweke (Jnr) Special Duties and Chukwuemeka Chikelu of Information, are beneficiaries.
Some of the allocations had been fully paid for, some partially, while some have not been paid for at all.