• Says Ojougboh demanded $1m bribe
• Accuses ex-FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, of envy
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has denied allegation that he unilaterally acquired the multi-billion dollar Centenary City in Abuja.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman (South South), Cairo Ojougboh, had accused him of being the sole owner of the housing estate.
He accused Anyim of desperation “to cling onto his loot and spoils of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy.”
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe transactions relating to the Centenary City, alleging that Anyim persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the documents without reading the contents or consulting advisers.
Ojougboh insisted that the project was used to defraud the government in taxes, stressing that the Free Trade Zone status given to the City is a fraud.
Alleges hatchet job
But speaking exclusively to TheNiche in Abuja on Thursday, August 27, Anyim said Ojougboh’s allegations are the tantrums of an agent provocateur doing the bidding of his pay masters.
He accused Ojougboh of demanding $1 million gratification as Chairman of the Nigerian Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA) from those running the Centenary City project, insisting that the refusal to pay the money is the main source of his anger.
Anyim said Ojougboh, who was not an Executive Chairman, also demanded a permanent office at NEPZA and to oversee the day to day running of the agency, which put him on a collision course with the Managing Director, Gbenga Kuye.
Anyim disclosed that Jonathan ordered Ojuogboh’s sack as Chairman of NEPZA board because of the quarrels he had with the board.
“Cairo knows why he was sacked. Did he do anything while we were there? He now felt that a new government had come in and we lost power so that he can paint me black and they would crucify me but the new government is not like that,” Anyim stressed.
“They don’t chase shadows and they don’t follow a mad man.”
“If you go through all the documents of the Centenary City, there is nowhere you will see me write a memo. I was not part of the processes to get approval. I was only the facilitator, so I didn’t take anybody’s work.”
Importance of Centenary City
Explaining the idea behind the city, Anyim said: “There is nowhere we have facilities that can hold certain levels of conference in Nigeria. So there are certain levels of conference that you can’t do here and where we have tried to hold such conferences, we made sure that people came and left that same day.
“When we did the centenary conference, we made sure that most heads of state came and left same day, because in the first place, there is no parking space for their aircraft, and there is no place for them to stay.”
Besides, Anyim said the city will stimulate local and foreign direct investments to the tune of $18 billion. He also countered the allegation that the free zone status of the project was not approved.
Campaign based on envy
“The issue is that we are doing what many people could not do, so there is a lot of envy.
“For instance, the man sponsoring this campaign of calumny is the former Federal Capital Territory [FCT] Minister, Bala Mohammed, who, when he couldn’t stop the project, accused me of doing the work of FCT minister.
“But he is busy selling lands and if I am bringing people to develop Abuja, he becomes envious.”
Anyim recalled that Mohammed “fought at every stage. He was stoutly opposed to it but the idea was too wonderful that he couldn’t stop it.”
On whether he has any fears that the project may be cancelled, he warned that Nigeria will be the ultimate loser if that happens.
“As a person, my losses will be minimal. The country will lose and we will see the impact on Abuja in the next few years.
“I have no fears about that unless there is a very timid person who will contemplate cancelling the project because the people we are dealing with and what we are doing are not hidden.
“Mohammed Alabbar (main investor) is not hidden, Eagle Hills International Properties is not hidden, and the cities we are talking about are not hidden.
“In fact, the world needs about 100 cities of this magnitude by 2030 because in the next 50 years, 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. What is going on in many parts of the world now is how to make most cities smart.
“My losses will be minimal. So I don’t have such fears. In any case, what is anybody talking about? Barren land that has no facilities, no infrastructure?
“The government didn’t put anything and somebody says he wants to bring money to develop it and it becomes an issue.
“You know at times people talk rubbish. They are talking about using the certificate of occupancy to borrow money from the banks. Is it the certificate of occupancy of barren land that I will use to raise $18 billion?
“So, what is in the land? Out of the 1,264.78 hectares, 400 hectares are hills, water and rock, which is useless to anybody. Is that what I will use to borrow money? If I can use that to borrow money, is it not a feat?”
On whether some politicians invested in the project, Anyim said: “One way or the other, they may have invested but I can’t say categorically. Most people came through companies.
“It is their companies that invested but that does not matter, it is a private thing. The important thing is that the investment is a Plc because we intend to go to the market and get Nigerians to own it. So, it is really not for a certain group of people to own it.
“The real investment is going to be done by Eagle Hills. We are not even part of how he is going to raise money. It is his business.”
Anyim disclosed that so far about 40 companies have invested, about seven of them investing $5 million each. Others invested between $250,000 and $500,000.
On the allegation that he is into primitive acquisition of wealth, Anyim said: “I am used to such allegations. When I left office as Senate President, they said I own Emeka Offor’s office, Chida Hotel, EMAB Plaza, in fact the whole of Abuja.
“As of today, they know the owners of those properties. So, if somebody is saying the truth, it bothers you. And there is nothing I have that I didn’t declare.”
Denies blocking people from seeing Jonathan
He also denied the allegation that he shielded Nigerians from having access to Jonathan.
“I was not his Chief of Staff, neither was my office in the Villa. My office was at the Shehu Shagari Complex. My duty was not to process people seeing him, it is the business of the Chief of Staff.
“I had no business scheduling people seeing the president and I minded my office. I carried on with the utmost dignity. I didn’t do what was not my duty. I had no business with who wanted to see Goodluck. My office was not in the Villa.
“I am in sympathy with this country because I know that going forward is a lot of task and good people will be forced out of the way and it is very unfortunate.”
But he blames the media for the problem.
Case in court
“My greater worry also is about the role of the press. When Cairo started this, I took him to court. There is no media organisation in this country that does not know that this matter is in court.
“If you are not sure of yourself, you cannot go to court. But many people are busy promoting ‘media justice’ trial on the pages of newspapers instead of legal justice.
“At the end of the day, we are killing the judiciary. It is just very unfortunate. And at times, some media houses do it with such air of arrogance of ‘what can you do, after all we can raise more allegations against you?’
“It is really unfortunate. This is not my first job. And I believe I have the character that a lot of people know.
“So, for anybody to jump up and say Pius Anyim took 1,200 hectares of land and so what? What improvement did you make on the land? Go and raise $18 billion if you can.
“The Chagouris are doing same in Lagos and the state government is giving them everything to do it. Who has complained? They are even doing it in such a way that by the time they finish the reclamations, Maroko will continue to flood. But that is not an issue.
“Nobody thinks about that. But here we have barren land … Please, give me a break, leave me alone. Honestly, it pains.”
Fed up with non elective office
Anyim said he is done with public office unless in an executive capacity as an elected official.
“Except I run for election, I won’t work in government again. I am finished with government work. If it is the wish of God and He calls me to run for election, I will run. But to do public service again? No, it is not worth it.
“I can’t do any work again if I don’t have the decision making powers.”