- Safiu Kehinde
The Chief Executive Officer of WinHomes Estate, Stella Okengwu, has alleged demand of N200 million bribe by the Federal Ministry of Works over the company’s demolished properties in Lagos.
Okengwu made the allegation while speaking in a recent interview on the dispute between her and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
As captured in a clip of the interview shared on X on Wednesday, the WinHomes Estate CEO recounted how an official of the ministry she simply identified as Engr, Derin, contacted her, demanding that she pays N200 million to spare some segment of the properties from being demolished.
“The Federal Controller of Works, I don’t even want to start with him because he is actually the one that came. He said ‘ Madam, it’s just that you are always speaking too much English.
‘What you are going to do is to bring just N200 million, convert it in Dollars, and bring it to the former Federal Controller.’
“It was her assistant, Engr. Derin, that told me to bring the N200 million. He said bring it to my Madam and my Madam will take it to the minister.
“He said I should bring it cash to their office in Lagos State.“ She said.
Okengwu claimed to have turned down the demand as she maintained that it is impossible for her to ask her investors for the bribe.
“People that live abroad, one thing about them is that whenever you tell them bring money, bring bribe, they start thinking that you are even in part and parcel of the deal.
“I told him that is not something I can go and tell my investors. We have Mexicans there that brought in their money that wants to build hospital in that same property.
“How can I go and tell them that Nigerians are taking bribe.“ She said.
The WinHome CEO also explained reason behind her rejection of the compensation fee offered to the firm by the ministry.
She said the N18 million total compensation fee is way lower than the cost of a plot of land at the demolished estate.
‘David Umahi said that the compensation that WinHomes has is N18 million. One plot of that property, including the development is N150 million.
‘So, how can we accept N18 million on the whole property. Meanwhile, I have a composite survey that they took four hectares here, four hectares there with the setback.
‘I have a documentation that they have taken all the property which I can avail to you people. This is document from the Lagos State Government which is verifiable.’ She said.
Recall that WinHomes Estate had in October 2024 dragged the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government to court over alleged encroachment on an 18.838-hectare property at Okun-Ajah over the ongoing construction of the coastal highway.