4 weeks ago
6
By John Alechenu, Abuja
Owners of demolished spot wrong the WINHOMES Estate located on the Lagos extremity of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road person petitioned President Bola Tinubu implicit what they described arsenic the “reckless and damaging conduct” of the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi.
In a missive addressed to the President, the company’s main executive, a United States national who is besides a Nigerian diaspora investor, Engr. Stella Okengwu alleged that the minister’s behaviour and utterances with respect to the demolition of the property were susceptible of scaring distant genuine investors.
According to her, the curate had repeatedly invoked the president’s sanction successful a substance that is already earlier a tribunal of competent jurisdiction — a behaviour she said, “is improper, dangerous, and exposes the esteemed bureau of the President to unnecessary home and planetary controversies.”
She further explained that, “This substance is sub judice. By tying your sanction to his actions, helium has placed the presidency successful the enactment of ineligible and diplomatic fire,” noting that Section 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution remains ultimate implicit each officeholders.
The WINHOMES main enforcement explained that the project, conceived successful 2021, was designed arsenic a tourism-led improvement exemplary aimed astatine inspiring Diaspora Nigerians to reinvest successful their homeland.
She further stated that hundreds of investors, astir of whom unrecorded abroad, had subscribed. The project, she stated, sits connected 20 hectares of legally acquired onshore successful Lagos, with 3 valid titles and 2,500 afloat serviced plots, each valued astatine ₦150 million.
Okengwu disclosed that the full worth of the task stood astatine ₦375 cardinal (approximately $250 million), representing 1 of the largest Diaspora-backed existent property investments successful the country.
She, however, explained that the diversion of the coastal road task has already affected 400 plots valued astatine ₦60 billion, portion cumulative damages and infrastructural losses are estimated astatine ₦85 billion.
“This is Diaspora sweat, existent capital, and tangible infrastructure — present endangered by ministerial overreach,” she added.
She besides refuted insinuations that the task was financed done amerciable channels, stressing that WINHOMES Global Services Ltd. is duly certified by the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) and compliant with each Central Bank of Nigeria and anti–money laundering regulations.
She warned that, “All funds were transferred done morganatic fiscal channels specified arsenic Sendwave, MoneyGram, Western Union, and TapTap. Any effort to marque specified lawful funds arsenic amerciable is defamatory and volition beryllium met with due ineligible action.”
On the ongoing tribunal case, she accused Umahi of making mendacious claims that judgement had been delivered successful favour of the Federal Government, stating that the substance — Suit No: FHC/L/CS/10063/25 — remains pending earlier Justice Akintayo Aluko astatine the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.
Citing the 1986 Supreme Court ruling successful the lawsuit of Governor of Lagos v. Ojukwu, she said nary party, including the government, has the close to instrumentality the instrumentality into its ain hands during litigation. “The Minister’s carnal sojourn to the disputed tract and his nationalist declaration that helium has taken the onshore himself is contemptuous and unconstitutional,” she asserted.
The developer further raised concerns astir reports that definite backstage developers had allegedly approached the Minister to acquisition parts of the estate, informing that immoderate specified actions would magnitude to fraudulent interference with backstage spot and destruct Nigeria’s overseas concern credibility.
She said, “The satellite is watching. Every reckless connection from the Minister de-markets Nigeria and raises the hazard cognition among overseas investors.”
She appealed to President Tinubu to intervene by calling the curate to order, reaffirming judicial independence, and mounting up an autarkic valuation sheet to measure diaspora losses.
The committee capitalist said, “This is your infinitesimal to amusement that Renewed Hope is not a slogan but a covenant of justice,” she told the President. “Either we support the Constitution and Nigeria’s concern aboriginal oregon let ministerial impunity to erode spot built implicit decades.”
The petition concluded with a telephone for structured dialog betwixt the Tinubu medication and WINHOMES done its ineligible representat...
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