Lamentation on the FCT Kugbo market

This is drawing attention to the contravention of the FCT  administration’s stance on land grabbing and a statement jointly made by Abuja Investment Company Limited AICL and Mesotho Group Limited regarding the Kugbo International Market, Abuja.  In the said statement, the two organisations, who spoke during a media tour of the disputed Kugbo International Market, […]

This is drawing attention to the contravention of the FCT  administration’s stance on land grabbing and a statement jointly made by Abuja Investment Company Limited AICL and Mesotho Group Limited regarding the Kugbo International Market, Abuja. 

In the said statement, the two organisations, who spoke during a media tour of the disputed Kugbo International Market, made ownership claim to the Kugbo commercial layout which was lawfully allocated to members of Mararaba Building Material Market; the Kugbo Market Traders Association for Timber, Furniture, Mechanic and Cement, by the FCDA. 

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered joining issues in a matter because the FCT High Court in 2017 has ruled in our favour, so prospective subscribers should beware. 

While we urge the general public to be wary of their investment decisions as the Kugbo International Market is in dispute, we wish to therefore remind the minister of the FCT that having applied for the Kugbo commercial layout and got the approval of the FCDA and allocation in 2003, in 2017 when we applied for revalidation of the same layout, it was the FCT Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello that approved and granted the revalidation. 

For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record that neither Mesotho, who happened to be our developer until we parted ways after irreconcilable differences nor the FCT administration had challenged the judgment of the honourable court, which ruled in our favour; and not surprisingly, the judgment was never set aside until the renewed attempt to grab the Kugbo commercial layout in 2020, with the backing of the FCT Police Command. 

It is also noteworthy that on December 12, 2021 and January 13, 2022, our members, took steps to caution the general public on the disputed Kugbo International Market during an SOS procession, where we called on the FCT minister to dissuade Abuja Investment Company Limited and its co-travellers to vacate the Kugbo commercial layout. 

 

Prince Emeka Egwuekwe, President, United Kugbo Market Traders Association KIMTA