*Face demolition, heart break

By Evelyn Usman 

The recent diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road has caused distress among Nigerians living abroad, particularly those who invested in plots of land in the Okun Ajah community in Lagos. The Ministry of Works’ demolition of the gatehouse of Win Homes Property, on October 5, 2024, where many of these investors had their plots of land, has been described as a slap in the face and a blatant disregard for the rights of Nigerians. This action has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to protecting the interests of its citizens, particularly those living abroad.

The investment

The affected Nigerians, who live in the  United States of America, United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada, said they were propelled to invest in Nigeria because of President Bola Tinubu’s call on Nigerians in  Diaspora to contribute to the country’s  greatness and his vision for its economic revival during his electioneering campaign.

One of those who heeded the President’s call was Engr. Stella Okengwu, a US-based Nigerian businesswoman, who, alongside her partners, Femi Adekoya and Olawale Oluwa, invested in Nigerian real estate through WinHomes Global Estate. Their collaboration reportedly inspired 70% of their subscribers, fellow diasporans, to invest in the WinHomes Investment Scheme Portal.

However, their investment dream turned into a nightmare when the government decided to realign the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, rendering their land worthless and leaving their owners helpless and betrayed.

Due diligence

Okengwu, who serves on the Board of Africa Canada Global Trade and Investment in Nigeria, expressed her frustration and sense of betrayal in a shaky voice. She highlighted the efforts made to ensure due diligence was taken to ensure the portion was legal. 

She said: “ As diasporan investors, we were inspired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s sincerity and enthusiasm to transform Nigeria. During his overseas visits, he sought investments and collaborations to revive our economy and kickstart social and economic development. We were motivated by his bold investment decisions, such as merging foreign exchange rates, and were motivated to contribute.

“ Our goal is to attract $250 million in repatriated investments through the Win Homes investment scheme portal. We are law-abiding citizens committed to Nigeria’s development and growth, creating job opportunities for over 5,000 Nigerian youths through our real estate project powered by Win Homes Global Services Ltd. 

“We conducted thorough due diligence, securing all necessary documents, including a certificate of occupancy from the Lagos state government for the Okun Ajah community. We obtained the governor’s consent and clearance from the coastal road right of way, confirming the land’s validity. We went above and beyond to ensure everything was in order.Despite the challenges and countless trips between America and Nigeria, we finally secured the estate land and began development. We confirmed that the land was free from the proposed coastal road alignment and proceeded with confidence. Our efforts and investments were made in good faith, and we are eager to contribute to Nigeria’s development”.

The invasion

These efforts were however rubbished by the ongoing work by the Ministry of Works.

She said, “  We were shocked when Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, destroyed our properties and investments without prior notification, using the president’s name to cause pain and trauma to Nigerians in the diaspora. Despite securing all necessary titles, the  action has made a mockery of our investment”.

Recalling how they got wind of the action, Okengwu said, “ On October 4, 2024, chaos erupted at our site. High-tech personnel arrived with their bulldozers catching us off guard.  When I got there and asked what they were doing, they said they were told to leave where they were working and proceed to our end. They left after a while, only for officials of the Ministry to come with  Police, Task Force, and soldiers, the next day.  They beat up  my staff who, including my Human Resources woman, a married woman, and two others. They tore her clothes and destroyed our belongings. I have the video evidence. When I arrived, I was taken aback by the scene and told everyone to start recording. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the events that transpired on my site. The sheer audacity of the officials who came in, claiming to be acting on the President’s orders, is mind-boggling. They seemed to be hiding behind the President’s name, using it as a shield to justify their actions. The Ministry’s action is not only destructive but also contradicts President Tinubu’s foreign investment drive, undermining the goals of Dr. Abike Dabiri and Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, who have encouraged Nigerians in the diaspora to invest in Nigeria’s development.

“The Ministry’s actions have hampered efforts to convince Nigerians in the Diaspora to return and invest in the country. This action has caused pain, trauma, and depression, making a mockery of our investment and undermining the president’s initiatives. We’re left wondering if the government is truly committed to attracting foreign investment and supporting Nigerians in the Diaspora.”

Allegation of bribery

Allegations have been made that officials posing as Ministry of Works representatives are collecting large sums of money from building owners to exempt their properties from demolition plans. 

Confirming this claim, Okengwu mentioned that some individuals in the area allegedly gave undisclosed amounts to these officials. She stated that she contacted the Minister of Works to investigate the allegation, but the Minister dismissed it as a rumor. 

Determined to know the truth about the diversion plan, Okengwu said, ‘I personally contacted the Minister of Works, sending him documentation and expressing my concerns. I pointed out that in other countries; coastal roads typically do not go through residential areas. I also mentioned that the coastal road aligns with the 2006 gazette alignment, established when President Bola Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State. In 2013, an environmental impact assessment was conducted, determining that the area was still suitable for the 2006 gazetted alignment”. 

Ministry’s position

While the Ministry of Works gave reasons for the diversion to some underground telecommunication cables, Okengwu stated otherwise. She said : “When I visited the Surveyor General’s office, I was told that they were reverting to the old alignment and returning to channel 25, supposedly to protect the MTN cables. However, I pointed out that the MTN cables are actually located in Okunmopo, 7 kilometers away from Oku Ajah”

Vandetta move?

Okengwu  who noted that the demolition of WinHomes Global Estate was deliberate, recalled that she had briefed her lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, on the visit of HiTech construction workers to WinHomes estate , to peg the area for demotion.

She said: “ He( Falana ) called the Minister, who promised to come to Lagos the following week to discuss the issues surrounding the pegging. However, to our astonishment, on October 5th, 2024, Ministry of Works officials, accompanied by military personnel and Lagos state Taskforce officials, stormed our site and demolished Win Homes property, and also assaulted our personnel on site. Afterward, they removed essential building materials worth hundreds of millions, claiming they had orders from above to do so. 

“This isolated attack and vendetta raises the following questions: ‘Is the Federal Ministry of Works aware of the bribery and corruption allegations and deliberately ignored them? Is this a case of retaliation for speaking out and doing what is right?’ She asked rhetorically, insisting that the Ministry of Works did not consider the environmental impact of sighting a Coastal Road project through residential property investment around the Okun-Ajah corridor before diverting it from the initial master plan/gazette of 2006.

Appeals to Tinubu

Stating emphatically that they were not seeking financial compensation from government but to retain their for  12 heactres of land in the original place, she appealed in an emotional tone to President Tinubu to mandate the Ministry of Works to revert to the original 2006 gazetted alignment for the coastal road project, since it was done while he was governor of Lagos state. 

She maintained that ‘This is because we acquired the property for WinHomes Global Estate after conducting thorough due diligence and securing all necessary legal titles, which were implemented during President Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State. We are addressing the President directly because the issue stems from a specific faction of his ministry, which is the Ministry of Works. If this continues, it would be wrongfully generalized as a problem with Lagos state.’

She  urged the President to make a prompt decision and hold his public officials accountable for the damages incurred. 

She also called for an urgent need to constriture a Senate committee on Works to investigate the corruption allegations within the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s investment landscape.

 As the diaspora community awaits the President’s and National Assembly’s response to their plea for justice, they hold onto hope that their voices will be heard and their rights will be protected. Many consider this a moment of reckoning for Nigeria’s leadership to prove their commitment to justice, equality, and accountability. Whether they will seize this opportunity to write a new chapter in Nigeria’s history or let it slip away will be determined by events that follow.”