The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to have the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Dauda, removed over allegations of unfair compensation to residents of Gishiri community in Katampe District.
Wike’s threat stemmed from the ongoing construction of the Arterial Road N16, which passes through Gishiri.
The project has faced delays due to unresolved compensation and relocation issues affecting 455 residents whose homes are situated along the construction corridor.
During a heated stakeholders’ meeting on Monday in Abuja, Wike expressed displeasure over reports that some affected residents were offered as little as N72,000 for their properties.
The minister warned Dauda that any shady dealings in the compensation exercise would be met with severe consequences.
“Go and pay people their money, the exact amount—the one I approved—because I’m hearing so many things. If you are doing any deal and I find out, you will regret it,” Wike warned.
He further said, “Give people their rightful compensation. The day I hear such things again, you will explain to me how. I will remove you from there.”
Wike further frowned on allegations of ethnic bias in the exercise, stressing that compensation must be based on ownership documentation, not ethnic background.
“Government does not pay compensation based on where you come from. If a road passes through your land and you have the papers, you deserve to be paid. Nobody should be denied because they are non-indigenes,” he said.
Members of the community voiced frustrations over the handling of their relocation.
The Gishiri youth leader, Umaru Godwin, accused Dauda of defying the minister’s directives by proposing a water-logged relocation site unsuitable for building new homes.
Similarly, Princess Juliet Jonah, another resident, alleged that the FCDA executive secretary offered a paltry N72,000 per building as compensation, which prompted residents to protest.
‘I Will Remove You’ — Wike Threatens FCDA Boss Over Gishiri Compensation Controversy is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
