Some members of the Barewa College Old Boys Association (BOBA) have called on elders and other prominent Nigerians, who are alumni of the college, to intervene in the crises rocking the 86-year-old association.
The members who do not want their names mentioned on Tuesday in Abuja told the 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that the interventions werev needed to save the college and the association’s embarrassment over a land dispute.
Recalling that BOBA has been involved in a land dispute with a firm, Eagle Aluminium Limited for the past 20 years, the members revealed that the Association has already secured a court order against Eagle Aluminium from further construction on the disputed land situated in the Central Area of the Federal Capital Territory.
They said “The land, which was in the trust of the General Yakubu Gowon-led Board of Trustees was sometime in 2007, purportedly re-allocated to a property firm. Two years later, the same plot of land was mysteriously re-allocated to Eagle Aluminium Limited, belonging to Mr Linus Ukachukwu, all of these unbeknownst to the board of trustees of BOBA.
“But with the sustained intervention of a former Secretary-General of the association, Professor Ahmed Mora, who served the association for nine years, the land title was restored to BOBA on July 14, 2020.
“The land was ostensibly revoked in 2005 by the FCDA. This was before Prof Mora became the Secretary General, and BOBA itself was not aware of the revocation at the time. Prof Mora was appointed Secretary-General of BOBA in December 2012.”
According to the anonymous members, correspondence with Eagle Aluminium started in 2013, and seven years later, the land was restored to BOBA when Prof Mora was still Secretary General.
“The President of BOBA, Engr Dahiru Ibrahim and Secretary General Prof Mora, wrote a letter of appreciation to the Honourable Minister of the FCT for the restoration of the land.
In the letter signed by Alhaji Dahiru Ibrahim, President of the association and Prof Mora, dated 23rd July, 2020, with reference number: BOBA/FCT-Min/Land, BOBA said, “We refer the Honourable Minister of the FCT to the letter dated 14th July, 2020 by the Barewa Old Boys: Association – (BOBA)(Ref.No:MISC 3183) regarding above.
“The National Executive Committee {BOBA) fully and sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Honourable Minister of the FCT by authorising the restoration of Right of Occupancy over Plot No: 291 to BOBA within Central Area (A0O} as indicated in your letter under reference. In view of this development, Alhaji Sani Idris Mailafiya, the 2nd Assistant Secretary General of BOBA is hereby authorised to collect the original document (s) and/or such other items from your office on behalf of the Association.
Also, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, dated September 21, 2023, with reference number: BOBA/BoT/IGP,
a member of the Board of Trustees of BOBA, Dr Umaru Abdulmutallab, said the National Executive Council of the association has no jurisdiction over any land matters that belong to the association.
He extolled the virtues of Professor Mora, describing him as one of the longest serving Secretary-General, who served meritoriously and moved the association to an enviable height.
He said in the letter, “Flowing from (a) above therefore, issues pertaining to land matters, specifically Plot No:291 under consideration which was allocated to BOBA within Central Area (AOO) District, Abuja, is within the constitutional jurisdiction of the BoT of BOBA and not the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“It Is worthy of note that universally, the duties of a Secretary to an ordinary Association slightly differs with that of a Secretary to a Cooperative Society which Is more encompassing and bags more responsibility than an ordinary conventional Association.
“The letters written by Professor Ahmed Tijjani Mora, the Secretary General of BOBA to Eagle Ajuminium Industries Ltd in 2013 cannot at all be said to be with intention to defraud the Association. At any rate, the Plot of land (No:291) under consideration, which was revoked by the relevant authority (FCT) in 2005, was restored to BOBA by the FCDA in 2020.
“In view of the above therefore, Prof.Mora cannot by any stretch of the imagination be said to be a party to the fraudulent activities of the duo.”
