The Registered Trustees of Games Village Abuja, has written to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Barr Nyesom Wike, seeking the review and revocation of all allocations that were approved through deceit and not in line with the Federal Executive Council Resolution of May 11, 2005.
The letter, dated March 14, 2024, was written by Chief Michael Aondoakaa SAN, Managing Partner, Prime Jurists, solicitors to the Registered Trustees of Games Village, Abuja.
The letter was titled: “Volation Of Court Order In Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/0367 17, Between Incorporated Trustees Of Games Village Resident Association Of Abuja and the Minister, FCT, Federal Capital Development Authority, and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council”.
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By the letter, Chief Aondoakaa, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, demanded the FCT Minister to “issue Right of Occupancy to the Resident Association of Games Village on all the identifiable areas handed over to the Association by the FEC Resolution of 11th May, 2005 including plot No: 1765, Cadastral Zone Bll, Kaura for the development of school, sporting and recreational facilities.
The Games Village Resident Association also requested Wike “to give approval to the Resident Association of Games Village to use part of the site office used by CCECC during the construction of Games Village which is plot No: 1765, Cadastral Zone BII, to build a school for the benefits of the Children in Games Village Estate”.
Further more, the Association asked the FCT Minister to direct the Department of Development Control to reconstruct and furnish the Secretariat of Game Village Resident Association and all the structures that were demolished and also compensate the Association for all the losses incurred as a result of the demolition by FCDA.
Aondoakaa stated that the Games Village Estate was built by the FG to host athletes for the COJA Games in 2004, and after the completion of the Games, the FG set up a Presidential committee for the disposal of the assets in the Games Village.
The former AGF revealed that in the 19th meeting of the FEC dated 11th May, 2005, the Council passed a resolution that the site office used by CCECC during the construction of the Games Village be used by the Facility Manager.
“However, on November 9, 2017, the Department of Development Control in a fragrant disobedience to the Federal Executive Council Resolution of 11th May, 2005 and an affront to the powers of the President in Council wrote a letter to the Chairman, Games Village Resident Association directing the Association to vacate plot No: 1765, Cadastral Zone BI, Kaura which is the site office used by CCECC during the construction of Games Village on the ground that the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council intends to use the said plot for purpose of developing Senior Staff Cooperative Housing Scheme.
Aggrieved by the eviction notice by the Department of Development Control, the Association filed a suit at High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, to protect its right over the said plot No: 1765, Cadastral Zone BII, Kaura.
On May 13, 2017, Aondoakaa wrote that the Association obtained an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, their agents and or servants from evicting the Plaintiff (The Registered Trustees of Games Village) from the said plot pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
“When the said order of Court was served on the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the then Minster of FCT, Musa Bello, personally visited Games Village estate in company of all his Directors to get first-hand information about the situation, and was shocked about the illegal allocation of plot NO: 1765, Cadastral Zone Bll, Kaura, which is the site office used by CCECC during the construction of Games Village as well as other recreational and green areas as plots to private individuals, Aondoakaa stated.
In obedience to the Court order, the then FCT Minister directed the suspension of all building plan approval on all such plots illegally allocated.
But while the suit against the Minister of FCT is still pending with a subsisting restraining order, the officials of FCTA, the Department of Development Control on March 7, 2024, at about 10AM, invaded the Games Village estate with their caterpillars and a team of over fifty armed men and demolished the secretariat of Games Village Resident Association, which is the site office used by CCECC during the construction of the Games Village, and forcefully took possession of the said plot in defiance of the Court order.
The senior lawyer informed Wike that the actions of officials of FCTA, Department of Development Control to say the least, “is an affront on the executive powers of the President in Council and a calculated attempt to disobey the order of Court issued on May 13, 2017, which we suspect was carefully concealed in order to cause embarrassment to you as a person and the office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, a highly condemnable act which should be visited with a severe sanctions to serve as a deterrent”.
Based on the aforesaid circumstances, Aondoakaa said they have commenced committal proceedings against the staff who participated in the violation of the subsisting Court order and physically took part in the destruction of the Plaintiff’s property.
