Documents from the office of the secretary to the government of the federation according to THE SUN has revealed that about 500 houses were shared among ex President Goodluck Jonathan’s influential aides and ministers as parting gifts.
Beside the influential ministers and top presidential aides, heads of some powerful federal agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the armed forces as well as top military officers are also beneficiaries of the last minute largesse of the Jonathan’s administration.
The report says most of the beneficiaries have one common feature; the allocation of the houses to them was not done in their individual names but in the names of front-companies and/or faceless companies.
Most of the houses were however abandoned because “the owners are obviously looking for private sector individuals that can buy them as many of them didn’t really get the allocations to live in the houses, they only want to sell them off and make profit.”
The properties are reportedly scattered all over Asokoro and Maitama areas of Abuja as well as Ikeja GRA, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Apapa areas of Lagos.
Investigations revealed that the abandoned properties are more in Lagos. They litter Emotan road, Apapa GRA; Liverpool road, Apapa, Marine road, Apapa; Park lane and Child avenue, both also in Apapa. In Ikoyi, they are located at Oyinkan Abayomi (Former Queen’s Drive) and Bourdillion road where the EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde has his allocation; a mansion and two bungalows on a large expanse of land.
It was also gathered that while some of the former ministers and presidential aides have their allocations in Abuja, top military officers and some heads of government agencies have theirs in Lagos. Further investigations show that the former ministers, presidential aides and Heads of Departments and Agencies were allocated Guest Houses and other buildings owned by their MDAs at ridiculous prices.
Another source in the Ministry of Lands and Housing however said that the number of houses allocated was far lower than 500.
