A group, Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative, has asked
President Muhammadu Buhari to review the Federal Government’s
commitments to the Abuja Centenary City project which it described as a
fraud conceived to undermine the national economy.
According to the group, among the abuses was the relocation of a
military base at the cost of N2 billion to the government for the
purpose of accommodating the privately owned project.
In a petition to the president, the group listed former Secretary to
the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim as a
facilitator of the project who used his powers to the benefit of the
privately-owned scheme to the detriment of the nation.
The petition was signed by Solomon Adodo, the national coordinator and Sulieman Musa, the national secretary.
“Mr. President, we also refer you to the Corporate Affairs Commission
report on the Centenary City where it was stated that the shareholders
and subscribers of the Centenary City, Company First Ltd and Basic Stat
Ltd own 125,000,000 shares each of the Centenary City. Mr. President we
can courageously tell you that the process of the incorporation of the
Centenary City leaves much to be desired.
“Mr. President, are you aware that a military base was relocated out
of the Centenary City zone at the cost of 2 billion naira at the expense
of the Nigerian Government. This 2 billion naira belongs to the
commonwealth of Nigeria. Mr. President, are you going to allow these
monies remain in the hands of Anyim and his cohorts – the soldiers of
fortune?
“Mr. President, we refer you to the NEPZA (Nigerian Export Processing
Zone Act) 1st schedule Section 3(5) sub 4.1 and it states ‘the fixing
of the Seal of the Authority shall be authenticated by the signature of
the Chairman and of any other Member authorized generally or
specifically by the Board to act for that purpose’. Mr. President, ask
the Centenary City to produce the approval of the NEPZA Board for the
licensing of the Centenary City as a free trade zone. Mr. President,
this is a criminal breach of trust. This must be scrupulously
investigated.
“Mr. President, we refer you to the NEPZA Act Section 5 (8) and it
states ‘approved enterprises operating within a free trade zone shall be
exempted from all Federal, State and Government taxes, levies and
rates’.
“Mr. President, by illegally licensing the Centenary City a free
trade zone, the promoters are desirous of taking advantage of the
Section 5 (8) as quoted above. Mr. President, the implication of this is
that for every one job created, we the Youth of Nigeria will lose 0ne
thousand jobs. Secondly, the industrial development we crave will never
materialize.
“Thirdly, the contractors in the free trade zone are taking advantage
of the above to import into the country equipment, cement and labour.
Mr. President, are you telling Nigerians that you are going to allow
this?
“How will the City operate when you need ingress and exit visas to
visit the zone. Mr. President, in UAE where you have the free trade
zones, the land is owned 100 percent by the government, Nigeria cannot
be exempted and there is nowhere in the world where a residential city
is a free trade zone. If this is allowed it will damage our economy,”
the group said.