Taraba, FGs clash over ownership of Trade Fair Complex
Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
The tussle between Taraba State Government and the Federal Government over ownership of the site occupied by Jalingo Trade Fair Complex seems not to have come to an end as a Federal High Court siting in Jalingo has issued an order stoping work on the site
Recall that the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, recently mobilized a contractor to transform the premises in question to an Ultra-modern Trade Fair Complex
However, few weeks after the contractor commenced work, the Federal High Court siting in Jalingo issued an order stoping work on the site , sighting that the landed property have been sold to the Federal Government by the recent past administration under the leadership of former Governor Ishaku.
Adressing our reporters in his office recently, the Comptroller, Federal Ministry of Housing, Field Office Jalingo, Taraba State, Mr. Rabiu Ahmed explained that misinformation and lack of proper briefing has created a battle field for the State and Federal Government over the land.
The Comptroller stated that the contractor who was engaged by the Taraba State Government, had to stop work to enable justice to be done on the site.
He said the Taraba State Government, through the former governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku had earlier given Federal Government the site to construct Federal Government Secretariat and there was no reason for the same Government to turn round and award a contract on the same site
“The Federal Government owns the site. We have all the rules of engagement concerning the site. there is an allocation letter given to the Federal Government, there is a survey plan given to the Federal government and there are conditions that were given to the Federal Government
“Part of the conditions they gave us was that another site would be acquire to relocate the Trade Fair Complex and that we should construct a pavilion for them on the site.
“The Federal Government has already awarded contract for the construction of a Federal Secretariat on the site in question and the contractor has being on my office since 2020.
“The State Government has also given us the site in which the Trade Fair will be relocated to. The only issue we are having with the relocation is that the state Government is yet to pay the compensation on the site hence, the contractor has not entered the site yet
“When the administration of Dr Agbu Kefas came in, we wrote a memo through the Ministry of Land and Survey. We also visited his Excellency and he gave us the approval to go and pay the compensation so that the fencing would commence while the pavilion would commence when our contractor comes.
So as I am talking to you, the contractor had reported to my office, we have handed over site to him in the first week of September last year and he is on site fencing it. He went back to energise and get mobilized to go to site and continue work.
“Suddenly, we saw grading going on in the site in question. When we enquired, we discovered that the State Government has awarded a different contract on the same site. We officially wrote to His Excellency informing him about it with all the back ups we have and so he immediately directed the work to stop and another site be given to them. So it could be that his Excellency was not properly briefed. Some people must have misinformed him”. He stated
However, when contacted, the Taraba state commissioner for Commerce and Industry Hon. Peter George, accuse the former governor of the state, Darius Ishaku for illegally selling Taraba State Trade Fair Complex, a Taraba state owned landed property, located in Jalingo the state capital, without proven records.
He tated that the Taraba State Government had already mobilized a contractor with resources and the foundation for remodeling of the Trade Fair Complex commenced, when the Federal High Court siting in Jalingo issued an order stoping the construction, sighting that the landed property was sold to the federal government by the recent past administration of Governor Darius Ishaku.
The Commissioner vehemently debunked the transactions saying that the sale of the Jalingo Trade Fair Complex was not contained in the hand over document presented to the present administration in Taraba State.
“The purported selling of the Trade Fair Complex is illegal and counter productive and it has no proven documents, the Taraba State Goverment Will try it possible best to recover its landed property” the Commissioner said.
He said Governor Agbu Kefas has already allocated land for the building of a Federal Secreteriat in Jalingo.
Meanwhile, our reporter who visited the site reported that the contractor who was already mobilized and commence work for remodeling of the Trade Fair Complex has removed his machines and vehicles amd vacated the site to avoid contempt of court
