FCDA distances self from reports on embassy plots reclamation

Favour Ishember, Abuja

Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, has distanced itself from the publication on Punch Newspaper accredited to the Executive Secretary on reclaiming some Embassy plots in Abuja.

In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations, Richard Nduul, the authority stated that at no time had it announced that it reclaimed plots belonging to any embassy in Nigeria.

Nduul who was making clarification on comments made by the Executive Secretary of the agency during its end of year press briefing on the activities of the organization held on Wednesday November, 23, 2022, insisted that the ES never stated that it reclaimed the Ghana, Malaysia or Thailand embassies, insisting that the Diplomatic plots was never part of his presentation.

According to the statement, “the attention of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has been drawn to a Punch Newspaper report in its edition of Monday December 5th, 2022 with the above caption and attributing the statement to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, FNSE, FNIOB.

“What happened was that during the question and answer session at the end of the Executive Secretary’s presentation, a question was asked about the challenges with some diplomatic plots and whether the issue has been resolved.”

The statement explained that part of the reasons for developing Guzape layout is to handle some of these Diplomatic plots that had to be consumed by infrastructure development.

It then quoted the FCDA boss as saying, “Actually, really some Diplomatic plots were affected by the RR1/Goodluck Jonathan way interchange around the stadium. You know when you have an issue with an embassy; it is like you are having an issue with the government of that nation and everything that must be avoided must be done to see that it is avoided. It is not just about getting a plot and saying go there.

“When you are inside an Embassy, you are completely outside Nigeria. We have gotten replacement plots and the affected embassies have indicated readiness to accept.”

While acknowledging that there are challenges with some of the embassy plots, the statement emphatically stated that, “it can therefore be seen from the above response that while it is true that the Executive Secretary acknowledged that we actually do have challenges with some embassy plots at the Ring Road 1 by the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX)/Goodluck Jonathan way around the stadium, and that efforts are being made to address the affected cases, he never listed the name of any embassy.

“This is the true and correct representation of what happened during the Executive Secretary’s Media Briefing and it is hoped that the submission of this facts will also put the matter to rest”.