The Senate is exploring ways and means of invoking sanctions against former President Goodluck Jonathan and some former ministers for allegedly appropriating reserved plots of land in Abuja.
According to the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the plots acquired by Jonathan and his ministers were designated as green areas, flood drains, city buffers, recreation centres, sewage lines, urban farming and city monuments.
At a briefing yesterday, the chairman of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, said the illegally acquired areas fall within the highbrow Maitama District.
Describing the action of Jonathan and his ministers as “satanic”, Melaye blamed the immediate past former Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, for the “indiscretion”.
Besides Jonathan, the committee listed other beneficiaries of the “land grab” to include former Petroleum Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and former Justice Minister Mohammed Adoke.
Other beneficiaries include former Trade and Investment Minister Olusegun Aganga; Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus and FCT Executive Director Ismaila Adamu.
Some of the beneficiaries have started erecting structures on the plots, which were “hurriedly allocated” in the twilight of the last administration. Certificates of Occupancy were hurriedly issued for the plots, the committee alleged.