May 2, 2013 has been fixed by an Abuja
High Court in Jabi district as a date to deliver judgment in a matter
of land litigation between the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, and
her predecessor and the wife of late President Yar'Adua, Hajia Turai
Yar'Adua.
The two first ladies were supposed to report out of court settlement to the court yesterday over a disputed 1.84 hectares of land in Abuja, but when the matter came up, the two parties disclosed to the court that it was practically impossible for them to resolve the issue.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Affen, fixed May 2, 2013 to deliver judgment on the matter.
The parties could not reach useful terms after meeting with Justice Affen inside his chambers for over 40 minutes yesterday.
Consequently, when they resumed hearing yesterday, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WYEF) opposed an application by the other parties to further adjourn the case hence the court informed parties that the judgment was already and would be delivered if parties failed to settle before the judgment day.
The disputed land, plot no. 1347 Cadastral Zone AOO, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT, was initially allocated to WYEF while Mrs. Yar'adua was First Lady.
The Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed revoked the allocation for what he described as "overriding public interest" and reallocated the same land to Mrs. Jonathan for the building of African First Lady Peace Mission Headquarters on the 2nd of November, 2011.
Mrs. Yar'Adua complained that the land allocated to WYEF on 19 February 2010 was being trespassed upon by Mrs. Jonathan and got a court order dated 5 March 2012 restraining the defendants from affecting WYEF title and interest over the land.
Those joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Minister of FCT, Federal Capital Administration, the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
WYEF, through its lawyer, Adamu Ahmed Ibrahim and Company, is asking for N1.5 billion as general damages, N100 Million as exemplary damages, N100 Million as aggravated damages in addition to N261 Million already paid for Certificate of Occupancy as well as N454 Million paid for building designs.
WYEF said that while it appears that the Ministry of Justice may be interested and committed to a settlement, their terms and what they offer says otherwise.
According to WYEF, the land offered by the FCTA was a much smaller parcel of land than the one purportedly acquired from WYEF for the first lady.
As part of the moves to get a negotiated settlement, already, the Federal Capital Territory Adminstration has offered WYEF Plot. 1838 Cadastral Zone AOO Abuja measuring 6119.29 square metres as replacement plot. While another plot 1839 was also proposed to be in favour of the African First Lady Mission, measuring 6100.51.
The said Plot nos 1838 and 1839 are subdivided from plot 700 CBD Cadastral Zone AOO, Abuja.
The two first ladies were supposed to report out of court settlement to the court yesterday over a disputed 1.84 hectares of land in Abuja, but when the matter came up, the two parties disclosed to the court that it was practically impossible for them to resolve the issue.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Peter Affen, fixed May 2, 2013 to deliver judgment on the matter.
The parties could not reach useful terms after meeting with Justice Affen inside his chambers for over 40 minutes yesterday.
Consequently, when they resumed hearing yesterday, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WYEF) opposed an application by the other parties to further adjourn the case hence the court informed parties that the judgment was already and would be delivered if parties failed to settle before the judgment day.
The disputed land, plot no. 1347 Cadastral Zone AOO, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT, was initially allocated to WYEF while Mrs. Yar'adua was First Lady.
The Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed revoked the allocation for what he described as "overriding public interest" and reallocated the same land to Mrs. Jonathan for the building of African First Lady Peace Mission Headquarters on the 2nd of November, 2011.
Mrs. Yar'Adua complained that the land allocated to WYEF on 19 February 2010 was being trespassed upon by Mrs. Jonathan and got a court order dated 5 March 2012 restraining the defendants from affecting WYEF title and interest over the land.
Those joined as co-defendants in the suit are the Minister of FCT, Federal Capital Administration, the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
WYEF, through its lawyer, Adamu Ahmed Ibrahim and Company, is asking for N1.5 billion as general damages, N100 Million as exemplary damages, N100 Million as aggravated damages in addition to N261 Million already paid for Certificate of Occupancy as well as N454 Million paid for building designs.
WYEF said that while it appears that the Ministry of Justice may be interested and committed to a settlement, their terms and what they offer says otherwise.
According to WYEF, the land offered by the FCTA was a much smaller parcel of land than the one purportedly acquired from WYEF for the first lady.
As part of the moves to get a negotiated settlement, already, the Federal Capital Territory Adminstration has offered WYEF Plot. 1838 Cadastral Zone AOO Abuja measuring 6119.29 square metres as replacement plot. While another plot 1839 was also proposed to be in favour of the African First Lady Mission, measuring 6100.51.
The said Plot nos 1838 and 1839 are subdivided from plot 700 CBD Cadastral Zone AOO, Abuja.
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