By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has threatened to petition the EFCC over a claim by Winhomes Global Services Ltd. that Nigerians in the Diaspora invested $250 million in its estate allegedly affected by the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Umahi made the threat during inspection of the highway on Monday.

Umahi also doubted the claim of the Winhomes that it bought 12 hectares of land in the area for N50 million.

?Winhomes says it bought 12 hectares of land in 2022 for the sum of N50 million.

?I don?t know if the villagers have been terribly cheated, if the purchase went through the normal process for you to buy 12 hectares of land for N50 million in 2022 with all this development all around the place.

?What we have done here, in passing the coastal highway, is that not more than four hectares have been taken; so, you still have eight hectares left,? Umahi said.

He said that it was the Lagos State Government that had legal right over the land.

?Our own is for Lagos State Government to give us the right of way where we need; so, it has revoked it, it has gazetted it. The matter has gone beyond the Federal Ministry of Works.?

He noted that Winhomes had taken the ministry to court over the matter.

?The court has ruled that we are right.

?Let me make it very clear that I never invited Win Homes for any negotiation, I never called it for any meeting. The matter is closed in court.

?I am going to be writing to EFCC to investigate the Ministry of Works; the woman (Winhomes chief executive officer) claimed that there was no MTN cable passing through the coastline that made us to divert.

?We have the letters,? he said.

The minister said that passing the road through the coastline would be more profitable for the ministry but it would mean destroying over 8,000 property.

?The president directed me not to cut any cable of MTN or True Africa Network in the interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.?

He emphasized that Winhomes claimed that USD250 million was invested in Winhomes Estates located at Okun Ajah Town, Off Orchid Hotel Road in Lagos State.

?Before infrastructure is developed in Lagos State, there must be proof of that ? they have to stamp it.

?Where are those approvals?

?Also, remittance from diaspora carries evidence through CBN. How did it pass?

?Who and who paid this money? Can they publish those who paid and how much they paid?

?If you are talking about 250 million U.S. dollars and we can?t locate where it is, we can?t locate those who paid it, we can?t locate the means by which they paid it, then, it is a fraud, to me.?

He demanded an apology from the Win Homes within seven days if it would fail to provide relevant documents about the allegations. (NAN)

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