THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Web Towers Limited, Chief Felix Ezeamama, has finally reclaimed ownership of his contentious property located at 41, Kingsway (now Alfred Rewane) Road in the highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos State after a long-drawn legal battle with persons claiming to be owners.
The property became a subject of controversy when negative reports pointied to a possible unscrupulous dealing involving Ezeamama and one Alhaja Halima Abubakar surfaced online, causing Ezeamama to take the matter to court.
Earlier, the court heard that the property was owned by Federal Government and managed by the Federal Ministry of Housing. Fourteen federal government civil servants were resident there and referred to as the sitting tenants.
In 2005, the federal government adopted a policy to sell its landed properties in different parts of the country, including Ikoyi and constituted the presidential Implementation Committee to undertake the exercise, vesting the right of first refusal to buy the properties in which they are legal sitting tenants to the official residents.
On March 30, 2006, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, by a letter, informed the tenants, being civil servants in various agencies, of its intention to redevelop the property, gaving them 30 days upon receipt of the letter to vacate the premises and hand over the keys to the ministry’s Controller.
The legal tenants of all other government-owned properties were in like manner given notices to vacate the properties selected for sale in line with the policy, which led to many government-owned properties being deserted and abandoned, particularly as civil servants who otherwise resided in Ikoyi had moved to Abuja, following the relocation of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja.
Consequently, illegal occupants took over most of the properties that were in the process of being sold or selected for redevelopment.
Occupants of the said property remonstrated the federal government to no avail, and on July 8, 2008, the 14 sitting tenants entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Deed of Assignment with a power of attorney to Web Towers Limited with respect to their rights over the said property.
By these agreements, Web Towers Limited was empowered to negotiate with the Presidential Implementation Committee to secure Letters of Offer to buy the property or a replacement of the subject property for the tenants, so that upon the success of that negotiation, the tenants would assign their right of first refusal over the property to Web Towers Limited, in consideration of the sum of N7,000,000 as payment from Web Towers Limited to each of the sitting tenants.
Abubakar, having retired from the civil service, ought not to be counted among the legal sitting tenants, but was in illegal occupation of the property.
In consideration of these agreements, and as part payment of the N7, 000,000 agreed sum for the assignment of said rights/interests of each tenant over the property to Web Towers Limited, the firm paid N500, 000 to the 14 sitting tenants of the subject property.
By so doing, the sitting tenants empowered Web Towers Limited to liaise with the Presidential Implementation Committee on all matters pertaining to the perfection of their interest in the subject property and to endorse, execute and receive on their behalf, all documentation in pursuit of its perfection.
Web Towers Limited was also empowered to pay for the property, take possession and exercise control over the subject property.
The mater was adjudicated upon by a court of competent jurisdiction in Lagos State, which on July 10, 2023, in Suit No. LD/2036GCMW/16, issued its judgment to the effect that Abubakar, upon the receipt of a compensatory sum from Web Towers Limited, will, within 30 days of the payment of said compensatory sum, vacate the premises on 41 Kingsway Road Ikoyi, as has been done by the other sitting tenants, and relinquish vacant possession of same to Web Towers Limited.
Web Towers Limited was to take possession, own and demolish any structures on the property as it desires.
The judgment was obeyed and Abubakar vacated the premises.
The court heard that only Abubakar remained in illegal occupation of a part of the property after the 13 other sitting tenants had vacated the property following the successful intervention of Web Towers Limited in negotiating, obtaining Offer Letters in their favour and paying the full transaction price (for the property and those due to the legal sitting tenants) as agreed and contained in the MoU and Power of Attorney executed between the firm and the legal sitting tenants.
