The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to the acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Mr. Richard Dauda, threatening to sack him over the mishandling of compensation for residents affected by a demolition to make way for a road project.
The warning came during a meeting with community leaders of Gishiri village, Katampe District, Abuja, where some houses were demolished.
The minister expressed his dissatisfaction with Dauda’s handling of the relocation process and the payment of compensation, which had caused frustration among the affected residents.
The conflict escalated when the Youth Leader of Gishiri village, Adamu Umar, informed the minister that FCDA officials had allocated a swampy area for relocation, which differed from the one previously approved by the minister.
Another resident, Miss Juliet Jonah, voiced her concerns that some houses had been valued as low as N72,000, questioning, “Can N72,000 build a house in this current economy?”
A visibly upset Wike confronted Dauda, asking why the relocation site differed from his approval. Although Dauda denied the allegations, claiming the area was not swampy, the minister remained furious, warning him that such mismanagement would not be tolerated.
Wike stated, “Let me warn you now. I will sack you. You want to go and take the land? You can’t try that. You cannot take me to a place, I tell them, and now you are saying it is not enough. Have you come to tell me? This rubbish must stop. Don’t give the government a bad name.”
The minister also reassured the affected persons that the issue would be addressed, and he promised to visit the location himself to assess the situation. He emphasized that compensation amounts would be based on the value of each demolished property.
Wike clarified that the government had no intention of causing anyone hardship and was committed to serving the people’s interests.
He noted that the funds for compensation had been increased from N655 million to N1.3 billion due to the current economic realities, and that the initial valuation was based on official government rates.
Additionally, Wike criticized Dauda for allegedly suggesting that compensation would be withheld from non-indigenes. He made it clear that compensation is not based on ethnicity but on property ownership.
“The government does not pay compensation based on where people come from,” he asserted. “I won’t take that rubbish.”
The minister ordered Dauda to ensure that all affected persons received their compensation as approved. He also disclosed that the compensation amounts had been revised, with payments increasing significantly.
For example, the compensation for a person initially set to receive N72,000 had been raised to N145,000, while other recipients saw their payouts double.
The Minister’s strong stance underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the grievances of the affected residents and ensuring a fair and transparent compensation process.
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