Eric Olusesan/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government has dismissed the allegation that revocation of the land alloted to the former Senator Lee Maeba was a political vendetta for falling out of favour with Governor Nyesom Wike.
Chris Finebone, the new Commissioner for Information and Communications, in a signed press statement explained that the plot of land was not originally owned by the former Senator but benefitted from the policy of the present government of Wike.
He stated further that the former Senator Lee Maeba, like other notable personalities in Rivers State, was allocated the aforementioned plot under the State Urban Renewal Policy aimed at phasing out dilapidated structures and replacing them with modern buildings.
Finebone said the persisting speculations making the rounds in the media the recent revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of land allocated to former Senator Lee Maeba at the Golf Course axis of GRA in Port Harcourt and wishes to place the facts of the matter in public space to correct distortions being peddled.
He explained that “One of the terms of that allocation is that all allottees must develop the properties for own use and not to resale the land for profit or transfer the ownership even when it is yet to be developed as this will defeat the lofty objective of achieving a properly planned city under the government’s Urban Renewal Policy.
Finebone said that over a period of time, Government noticed that from the time the plot was allocated to the former Senator until when the land title was revoked recently, Lee Maeba abandoned the land ostensibly to resale it which runs against the policy of Urban Renewal of the government. Worse still, the abandoned plot had become home to a mountain of refuse.
Commissioner for Information Communications further stated that other beneficiaries of the scheme, some of whom are associates of Sen. Lee Maeba such as Hon. Austin Opara, are developing their plots apace without any interference or hindrance whatsoever.
It has to be unequivocally stated that the reason for the revocation of the aforesaid land title of Senator Lee Maeba was administrative and not political as being promoted by Senator Maeba and speculated by some persons.
He said Government would like to assure law abiding citizens and residents of Rivers State to discountenance cheap propaganda concocted for political reasons to de-market the State particularly by a section of politicians. Rivers State remains a bastion of rule of the law and haven for business investments.