Abuja church alleges transfer of convention land to Muslim group
ECWA Church, in Wuse 2, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, has asked the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, to thoroughly probe the alleged confiscation and reallocation of a land in the FCT, claimed to be originally meant for “Christian Convention Centre,” to another party.
The church, in a letter obtained by The PUNCH, directed to Okoh, claimed that the land, with initial Plot Number 575, Cadastral Zone B00 Kukwaba District, close to the Abuja City Gate, was reallocated to a Muslim organisation, Sharif Ibrahim Saleh Islamic Centre, by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello.
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“This is coming as a surprise because the Federal Government, in recognition of the importance of the two religions, allocated a similar land in the same axis to our Muslim brothers, with Plot Number 514 Cadastral Zone BOO Kukwaba, along the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Way (Airport Road) prominently located closer to the Abuja City Gate where our Muslim brothers have been using as their Eid Praying Ground since 1990 when the seat of government moved to Abuja,” the letter written late April and signed by Musa Amfani on behalf the church, partly read.
They added that the plot originally planned and retained in the Revised Land Use Plan of Kukwaba Recreational Park was designed as the Christian Convention Centre.
According to Amfani, in the letter acknowledged by CAN in mid-May, it was gathered that efforts had been made to make the FCT minister review the allocation.
He stated that the ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had also intervened but to no avail, saying the minister was reportedly told that another land had been allocated to CAN elsewhere.
“The only land given to CAN is the Papal Ground in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council. This was during the military regime of General Sani Abacha, of blessed Memory.
“The allocation of Papal Ground to CAN cannot be equated to the Christian Convention Centre land at the Abuja City Gate,” the letter stated.
When contacted, the FCT Administration Director of Information and Communication, Muhammad Sule, promised to fact-check the matter alongside the Director of Land, FCDA, Adamu Hussani.
He subsequently confirmed that indeed, land was allocated to Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh Islamic Centre in 2017.
Sule said, “From our records, the said Kukwaba District plot 652 was never committed to anybody or organisation, prior to the subsisting allocation to Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh Islamic Centre on October 18, 2017.
“Please note that the FCTA does not confiscate a land already allocated. You may, however, wish to furnish us with a copy of their allocation to authenticate their claim.”
Source: punch
