River Park Estate, Abuja Meeting Sparks Controversy Over Service Charges, Document Dispute

By Usman Bello

A meeting at Perseverance Towers, River Park Estate, Abuja has drawn scrutiny after residents raised concerns over service charge payments, document authenticity, and alleged misinformation.

The gathering, convened by Paul Odili with support from Adrian Ogunmuyiwa and South African national John Townley Johnson, followed a recent police press briefing involving Akin Fakorede, Head of Monitoring.

However, attendees claimed the discussions took a contentious turn, with three key issues emerging:

1. Service Charge Dispute – Odili allegedly warned that waste disposal trucks would be barred from the estate unless residents paid fees directly to him, bypassing the estate’s management.
2. Document Controversy – A circulated document, claimed by Odili to be forged by Ghanaian investors, was cited as the basis for ongoing police investigations. He further alleged that Kojo Ansah and Victor (surname withheld) ignored EFCC and police invitations.
3. Payment Demands – Residents were reportedly instructed to remit fees within a week for Rights of Occupancy and Certificates of Occupancy**, prompting questions about the legality of the directive. Corporate Records Tell a Different Story
   A Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) search revealed that the filings in question were not submitted by the Ghanaian investors but by LD Sharkwarku, a law firm acting for Jonah Capital. The filings were handled by Hassan Hussei, a registered legal practitioner with verifiable NBA credentials.

An upcoming Special Investigation Panel report includes a sworn statement from Hussein’s team, clarifying they had no direct dealings with the Ghanaians and were instead engaged by Johnson and Ogunmuyiwa to process corporate documents for Jonah Capital**.

Email Evidence Contradicts Forgery Claims
CAC records show Sir Samuel Jonah, a Ghanaian businessman, held 7.5 million of 8 million shares in Houses for Africa Holdings, with filings signed by Ogunmuyiwa,who was present at Fakorede’s press conference.

Additionally, a 2012 email from Kehinde Yinka (copied to Ogunmuyiwa) included a share certificate signed by Barrister Wilson also at the press briefing sent to Kojo Ansah This contradicts assertions of forgery, suggesting a possible misrepresentation of facts

Calls for Transparency
Observers now question whether Fakorede’s team properly vetted documents before publicly implicating the Ghanaian investors.

The Ghanaian stakeholders maintain their innocence, stating they await an Attorney General’s invitation o present exonerating evidence.