ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has protested to the Bayelsa State Police Command over an alleged illegal demolition of her property, Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa.
It was learnt that a protest letter was sent to the police in the state over the alleged demolition of the fence of the five-star hotel located at Okaka, Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state capital.
The property was allegedly demolished by the state government officials led by a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Chairman of the State Physical Planning and Development Board, Alabo Gideon Ekeowe.
The former Nigerian First Lady, in her protest letter to the police, demanded the arrest of Ekeowe over alleged abuse of office, criminal demolition and contempt of court processes.
It was gathered on Saturday that the demand for the arrest of Alabo Ekeowe was provoked by Friday’s destruction of the fence of the hotel without allowing the management of the hotel and the police to respond to the court order arising from the Motion on Notice instituted by the Physical Planning Board.
Investigation indicated that while the court was expected to rule on the Motion on Notice on Monday and the police expected to jointly implement the received copy of MoN in the morning of Friday, the board’s officials demolished the property at about 3pm on Friday without the police.
The action, it was learnt, contravened the law establishing the Board that states that such demolition could not be done without the police approval.
It was also gathered that though the demolished fence allegedly encroached on the legal line in the state’s physical development plan, the action of the Ekeowe-led Board was a “violation of court processes and abuse of office.”
A source within the Board confirmed that the protest by the former First Lady was creating an uproar and that Governor Douye Diri seemed to have washed his hands off the board’s action.
Ekeowe is said to have led over 78 alleged cases of illegal demolition with the board.
While some officials of the board claimed that the action of Ekeowe was personal and borne out of alleged past political anger held against the former first family, others rationalised that it was based on misunderstanding.
It was also reportedly said that another property located in Otiotio area of Yenagoa was allegedly demolished illegally.
Attempts to contact Ekeowe for his response on the allegation met a brick wall as his mobile phone indicated it was unreachable.
But officials close to the board’s boss acknowledged the complaints of Mrs Jonathan, declaring that the action of the officials of the board was backed by the ruling of the Physical Planning Tribunal Development tribunal headed by Justice Emmanuel Ogola (rtd.).
“I am not aware of any disagreement between Mrs Jonathan and Alabo Ekeowe. I don’t know if he is calling for his arrest. But all I know is that a tribunal ruled against the property and it was executed,” the official, who craved anonymity, claimed.