Jonathan in Abuja $500million farmland scandal
Jonathan in Abuja $500million farmland scandal
Sunday, February 22, 2015 11:16 am
Jonathan: land deal exposed
President Goodluck Jonathan is battling to explain all he knows about a $500 million farm which a non – governmental organisation (NGO) says belongs to him in alleged violation of the 1999 Constitution.
The Nation reported today that the farm was incorporated on December 30, 2011 barely seven months after Jonathan was sworn in as president for his current tenure which he wants Nigerians to renew.
The farm is about 94,04 hectares, located along the highway leading to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Purpose Driven Initiative (PDI), an NGO that appears to be the source of TheNation story, said in adverts in some papers last Friday : “ Let us talk about corruption. This is how the Nigerian government conducts business and fights corruption.
“A sitting President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, incorporated a company, Ebele Integrated Farms Limited in which he is a major shareholder on December 30, 2011.
“Ebele Integrated Farms Limited applied for and was granted 94.04 hectare plot of land, 1689 in Cadastral Zone EOS Aviation Village, Abuja on January 13, 2014.
“Under the Fifth Schedule Part 1( Code of Conduct for Public Officers) of the 1999 Constitution, Section 1, ‘a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.’
“Do we need any more evidence of how the Jonathan administration has been fighting or will fight corruption.”
Investigation revealed that crocodiles are some of the livestocks being reared at the aquatic farm.
A source said: “The farm house sits on a hill top overlooking the airport at the nation’s capital with rest chalets and presidential conference rooms.
“I think the farm may worth about $500m when completed. It is believed to being managed by some Israeli experts. As part of the plans, a helipad may be established on the farm, which may be solely export-oriented.”
The whistle-blowing group also alleged that the Minister of FCT, Mallam Bala Mohammed, has abused his office and violated the 1999 Constitution by incorporating Bird Trust Agro-Allied Limited on May 31, 2012.
“The company, Bird Trust Agro-Allied Limited then applied for and was given(by the same FCT that the major shareholder, Bala Mohammed, heads) a 40.4 hectares, plot 1683 in Cadastral Zone E05 of Aviation Village in Abuja on April 11, 2014,”the group said.
Rising in defence of the President and the minister, a pro- government coalition, New Generation Coalition, said Obasanjo enjoyed the same perks while in office.
It said: “Is it corruption? As a sitting President, Olusegun Obasanjo incorporated a company, Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited. Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited applied for and was granted a 100.12 hectares of land, Plot No.1 Cadastral Zone E09 Kuje, Abuja on June 27, 2005.
“The sitting Minister if FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai(now APC chieftain) allocated the land and signed Certificate of Occupancy no. 17c2w-1b99z-9d15r-cb2au-34u3 certified to Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited on July 24. 2006.
“Just like Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited, Ebele Farms and Bird Trust Agro Limited are companies in which the sponsors engage in farming and other allied agriculture production and processes.
“Under the Fifth Schedule Part 1 Code of Conduct for Public Officers of the 1999 Constitution, Section 1 states that ‘a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.’
“Section 2 states that without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph …, nothing in this sub-paragraph shall prevent a public officer from engaging in farming.
“Is it corruption for a public officer to engage in farming as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 with the view to making Nigeria self-reliant in food production?”
*Reported by The Nation
45 mins ago 
2 hours ago 
2 hours ago 
3 hours ago 
4 hours ago 
5 hours ago 
19 hours ago 
19 hours ago
Join The Conversation
13 Comments
This farm , makes no mistake about it, belongs to the people of Nigeria and not Jonathan. And this is why –
Back of the envelope calculations puts it at about $200billion that have been stolen, shared or misappropriated in the past 4 years – through grand theft of oil, unmerited sale of oil, unauthorized subsidy payments, depletion of natural reserve, un-collected revenues through loopholes.
One Aspect. President Jonathan have personally supervised the grand theft, through two contracts financed with tax payers money, since January 2012 (possibly fall of 2011) of 400,000 barrels of oil per day by those he hand-picked to safeguard the supply lines against theft. According to Soludo: “First, you (Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala) admit that ‘oil theft’ has reduced oil output from the average 2.3 – 2.4 million barrels per day to 1.95 mpd (meaning that at least 350,000 to 450,000 barrels per day are being ‘stolen’). On the average of 400,000 per day and the oil prices over the past four years, it comes to about $60bn ‘stolen’ in just four years.
– This is done through two 2 contracts that Jonathan signed to rebel leaders from his tribe.
These are the 2 contracts by the Jonathan administration that is a major feed to the monster bedevilling Nigeria and turning it into a failed state, and a personal estate of King Jonathan, it was fall 2011 & 2012 time frame – widely reported by Wall Street Journal and major newspapers in Nigeria – just google it – I like the composition in the piece titled, Help, This Nigerian State Is Failing By Ayobami Oyalowo:
”In August, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) broke some disturbing news about Nigeria. It was reported that some ex-militants in the Niger Delta had been paid about N6.32billion within the past one year by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Yes, for the ‘noble’ service of providing security against vandals for the Corporation’s oil pipeline network. Imagine! The breakdown, as outlined by WSJ, is this:
Chief Government Ekpumopolo (alias Tompolo), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, ‘General’ Ebikabowei Victor Ben (Boyloaf) and ‘General’ Ateke Tom were respectively paid N5.1 billion, N1.44 billion, N608 million and N608 million yearly by the state-owned NNPC, as ‘protection money’ to guard the pipelines they once attacked.
As if that was not enough an insult on the collective intelligence of Nigerians, earlier in the year the Federal Government awarded a contract worth $103.4million (over N15billion) to the Global West Vessel Specialist Limited (GWVSL) – a firm widely believed to be owned by Tompolo to supply 20 vessels for the use of the nation’s military authorities to secure the waterways. Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ziadeke Akpobolokemi, had last year sent a memo titled, “Award of Contract for the Strategic Concessioning Partnership with NIMASA to Provide Platforms for Tracking Ships and Cargoes, Enforce Regulatory Compliance and Surveillance Of The Entire Nigerian Maritime Domain,” to President Goodluck Jonathan.
In considering the memo, President Goodluck Jonathan and Akpobolokemi chose GWVSL as the preferred company for the 10-year concession agreement, renewable for two terms of five years each. Jonathan, in a memo dated 9th November, 2011, with reference number PRES/99/MT/61, approved Akpobolokemi’s memo, which the Federal Executive Council rubber-stamped on 5th January, 2012. According to Akpobolokemi, GWVSL “will provide platforms for effective policing of Nigeria’s maritime domain and ensure compliance with international maritime conventions on vessels and ships voyaging the country’s waters”. NIMASA maintains that the concessionaire would help the Federal Government to enforce the sabotage law and collect levies on its behalf. This, in a country that still maintains a statutory Naval force, and without a track record for GWVSL?
From the above, the current occupant of the presidential villa showed where his loyalty lies…rather than train the military, he equipped criminals and vandals who had taken up arms against the state. No wonder so much arms and ammunition have found their way into Nigeria and our country has now become one gigantic human abattoir where someone is killed on an average of an hour, daily. Between January to May 2014 it has been estimated that over 1,500 people have been mindlessly cut down by terrorists and blood thirsty killers.
By Nigerian standard of curruption measurement, this is perfectly in order. Howevr, this sort of practice is what we want to change. This cannot happen in civilized countries. The fact that some presidents have done it before does not make it right. If you want to be a private investor, you do not go into government to actualize it. So, those who are asking whether it is a crime to invest don’t get it and as long as we have people with that type of mindset in Nigeria, it will be difficult for us to progress as a nation.
you insult Nigerians with these cheap lies#GEJtill2019
smelly article…Nigerians are smarter than what this childish write up can deceive..#GEJaspresidenttill2019
There is a new transformer GEJ’s administration just fixed in my place to increase the power situation…Haters are free to come and hug the transformer!
What more can i say?. HATERS! GEJ till 2019.
Is it a crime to invest again?. What scandalous about acquiring a property via due process?. Not like he manipulated anyone into selling the property.
What will we say about OBJ colonizing the Petroleum ministrial post all through his tenure.
So what do we say about OBJ being the highest exporter of cassava in Africa in his tenure?. Is that not his personal interest conflicting with his duties?.
enough of all this lies
our dear president can’t do such thing
stop all this distraction
haters at work again