At last, govt moves to relocate Abuja’s original settlers

Kwara was unable to relocate its people thereby returning its share of the money. The difficulty faced in relocating the original inhabitants forced the government in 1988 to embark on the integration policy.

Garki Village was used as a pilot scheme; however this was stopped as development caught up with the area. Determined to resettle the remaining original inhabitants from the city centre under the new policy, the government created and developed new settlements for the people but failed to execute the process due to lack of political will.

However, this changed with the return of democratic rule in 1999 when the FCT Administration under Sherif Bunu an architect, began the resettlement and relocation of locals and squatters. The process was however, halted with his removal.

His predecessor, Alhaji Abba Gana tenure, was quiet on the issue until the coming of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai in 2003.

El-Rufai’s mandate to recover the city master plan saw the revival of the plan to resettle the locals and squatters. It was a very tedious process as it was greeted with lots of condemnation and rejection by the people.

According to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the agency responsible for the development of the capital city, there are outlined procedures that were followed before contemplating resettling the original inhabitants.

The process, according to FCDA, starts with identifying the need to relocate the people after proper consultation with them so that they will be carried along.

Also, enumeration of crops and economic trees are taken, so as to compensate the inhabitants before taking over their sites.

The agency is also responsible for the provision of infrastructure, planning and beckoning so as to have it in the map of the new resettlement area. After this, the people are asked to move to the new area.The resettlement process, FCDA said, also includes sourcing farmlands for the people.

As of today, there are 49 communities remaining to be relocated and resettled from the city centre to the four designated resettlement areas which are: Apo Village , Galuwyi, Wasa in the AMAC and Anagada in Gwagwalada area council.

The squatters within the communities are not also left out. Though there was no compensation arrangement with squatters, the government also set aside some relocation sites for them in Gidan Mangoro, Kuchiko, Yangoji and Pegi.

To ensure smooth movement of the people to the new sites, the FCT Administration under the Minister of State, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, recently met with various heads of communities with the aim of convincing them on the need to accept the resettlement arrangement of the government and at the same time secure their support and cooperation.

The meeting was a major milestone in the effort to relocate the original inhabitants of Garki, Abuja, as the minister was able to reach an agreement with the people after about two hours of deliberation.

Unlike previous attempts to convince the people on the need to move to the new sites, the meeting was able to reach a consensus as the people agreed to the new resettlement areas provided for them by the government.

The government also appealed to the community leaders to convince the people to cooperate with the government in the effort to resolve the resettlement issue.

As part of its sincerity to the resettlement process, the minister also called for the setting up of a committee comprising representatives of the government and the locals to handle the resettlement programme.

Already, the government has developed over 4, 000 ultra-modern houses in the three resettlements centres which FCTA is building in Apo, Wasa and Shere/Galuwyi to cater for indigenous populations in FCT city.

The 300-hectares Apo resettlement scheme is for the resettlement of Garki, Apo and Akpanjenya villages while the Galuwyi/Shere resettlement site, which is about 900 hectares, is designated for the resettlement of 12 villages.

The indigenes from Garki, Apo and Aleita areas of the federal capital are to be relocated to the Apo village resettlement area. Also, the minister, who visited the Apo site gave a 24-hour quit notice to illegal squatters already occupying the houses.

Speaking on the preparation of the government to move the people, Akpanudoedehe said construction works in the sites have reached an advanced stage and because of this, he said the relocation would be a staggered one.

He also revealed that the movement would be done in an orderly manner, in line with the present administration stand on due process and rule of law.

To ensure the quick movement of the people, the FCT Administration also gave a three-week ultimatum to contractors at the Apo Resettlement site to complete the provision of access roads, water and other infrastructure.

The ultimatum, according to the administration, is to facilitate early relocation of the locals to the place.

Already, 815 housing units out of 877 units have been completed. They comprise one, two and three bedroom flats as well as a school, police station, health centre and other facilities.

Given the directive, the FCT minister of state said: "We are giving the contractors three weeks to finish providing the basic infrastructure so we can begin the actual process of movement of the people.

"The significance of this tour is that government has shown concern about the fate of these people to be relocated."

Akpanudoedehe further assured the representatives of the indigenes, led by the Sapeyi of Garki, Usman Kupi, who was also on the inspection tour, that the houses will have been incorporated into the Abuja masterplan.

He also said that the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) will issue the Certificates of Occupancy, while every documentation is entered against any family or person relocated so that no one could in future demand further compensation from government, the minister added.

On the possibility of the people selling the houses, the minister said there is no way the government would be able to stop the people from selling the houses.

According to him, government could not within the ambit of the constitution stop any of the indigenes from selling off the houses allocated to them, but he warned that each allottee’s old house, building or settlement would be demolished immediately his allocation is formalised and his house keys handed over to him.

About N67 million is due to the contracting firm handling the access roads and the minister assured that funds will not be a problem as the budget has been signed and money will be released accordingly.

Already, work done has reached an advanced stage. The only snag, however is the lack of necessary infrastructure. This, it was learnt, might delay the relocation.

The minister also noted that the fears raised by the people were also considered and came to consensus that those bigger houses would be adequately compensated.

The minister also assured the people that all issues that border on farmland, roads and other infrastructure would be addressed.

Meanwhile, Senator Akpanudoedehe has challenged the people on the need to be proactive and integrate themselves into the society by participating in economic activities in the city.

The leaders of the indigenes had expressed "average satisfaction" with the level of work done so far at the site but complained that the basic infrastructure like access roads and earthworks within the settlement are yet to be provided to make way for their immediate relocation.

In his remark, the spokesman for the locals, Ambassador Jacob Ayeiba Ngbako, said they are comfortable with the resolution reached at the end of the meeting with the minister.

"We are comfortable because a committee will be set up. We have to sacrifice, give and take as Abuja belongs to all of us. We need to digest what was presented to us and for now, we are satisfied."

However, Ibrahim Gajatan, head of Aleita who was particular about the provision of infrastructure in the resettlement area, said government ought to provide the necessary amenities before the people move in.

This, he said, is necessary "because if you are leaving a place for another place, the place you are going to should be better off.

He also noted that the issue of farmland is still pending, as he noted: "We are also expecting farmlands as you know, we are farmers. Though the government has promised to give us somewhere outside the area."