Land Swap scandal: Reps ask EFCC, ICPC to prosecute former FCT Minister

The House of Representatives on Thursday recommended that the immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed should be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related offences (ICPC) over alleged malpractices associated with the Land Swap scheme initiated by the Jonathan administration.

Other public office holders recommended for prosecution are: Adamu Ismaila, incumbent Executive Director of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA); Faruk Sani, Coordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre (AICC) for alleged culpability or otherwise in the abuse of financial regulations, due process procedures and ICRC regulations with regard to the land swap program.

The House also directed relevant security/law enforcement agencies to investigate and track all monies expended outside the laid down financial guidelines for the program, particularly monies paid to the FCTA Land Swap Programme account with FCMB PLC and the private personal account of Mustapha Usman Kaoje, AIIC accountant and any other FCTA and AIIC officials.

The lawmakers during the consideration of the report of the House Committee on FCT, chaired by Herman Hembe (APC-Benue), also proposed appropriate sanctions, as contained in Part V of the financial Regulations, 2009 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be meted out by relevant authorities on any officer found to have paid/collected money on cash/cheque without proof of exemption from Federal Government e-payment policy.

Relevant security/law enforcement agencies were also mandated to recover all the vehicles purchased with the Land Swap project funds for any officials of FCTA, FCDA and AIIC, while relevant financial regulatory agencies were mandated to investigate the role of Aso Savings and Loans PLC in conniving with some investors to misrepresent to the AIIC as to the financial standing of those investors with accounts in the said bank.

According to the House approved the termination of contracts of any investor who failed to meet the basic condition for participation/eligibility through the payment of N350 million commitment fee on presentation of it business plan to fund physical plan, preliminary design, survey plan, feasibility study, engineering design and preparation of agreements.

The lawmakers also endorsed the termination of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of any investor that did not meet up with the nine month timeline within which to finish the design stage and sign a final development agreement, as provided in clause 14 of the Land Swap agreement.

Likewise, the lawmakers gave a nod to the termination of contract with any investor who signed the comprehensive district development agreement (CDDA) but failed to deposit the 15% equity in the project account or failed to fulfill other conditions as stipulated in Clauses 1.16, 1.17.1 and 1.17.2 respectively.

The House also sanctioned that “all the lands earmarked for all the investors should revert back to the FCT and if is not the case at the moment, the FCT authorities, the EFCC/ICPC should as a matter of urgency recover the said lands from the investors who are in breach of the terms of the Land Swap agreement entered into with the FCT.”

Considering the huge benefits accrued to the initiative, the House urged FCTA to follow due processes e, adhere to relevant laws and ensure that only the most qualified investors are chosen to participate in the programme on a phase by phase basis, if it deemed it fit to continue with the scheme.