July 2001 Africa News Headlines

LAGOS - A former Nigerian federal minister and governor of Lagos State has denied claims in a government report that he misappropriated government land for himself.

Lateef Jakande, who was governor of Lagos and minister of works and housing in the early 1980s, was one of 52 prominent Nigerians named Monday in a report of the Oluwole Rotimi Commission of Inquiry into government property allocations.

In a statement sent to yesterday's Nigerian newspapers, Jakande said he had never allocated land to himself.

"I never (repeat never) alienated any land or property of government when I was in public office," he said.

"I never, at any time, allocated a plot of land, rightly or wrongly, legally or illegally, when I held public office, to myself," he said.

Land had been allocated to him but only after he had left office.

It had been allocated to him by his successor as minister of works and housing, he said.

Meanwhile, a senior Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Kanti Bello from Katsina in northern Nigeria, on Tuesday called for the prosecution of another former military ruler, Abdulsalami Abubakar, again on corruption charges.

Abubakar ruled Nigeria for 11 months from 1998 to 1999. - Nampa-Sapa-AFP

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