Wike Gives One Week Deadline to FCDA to Allocate Land to Gishiri Victims

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has directed the officials of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) a week ultimatum to allocate a new land to the residents of Gishiri Village affected by the construction of Shehu Shagari Road (Arterial Road N16) in Katampe District of Abuja.

He gave the directive yesterday when addressing the affected persons of the community.

Wike expressed dissatisfaction with the reports as presented by officials of FCDA and Gishiri victims, and promised to visit the area for assessment.

The minister, who on Monday, threatened to sack the Executive Secretary FCDA, Yunana Dauda for alleged fraud, urged the Director, Department of Resettlements and Compensation, Nasiru Suleiman, to pay compensation to the affected persons within one-week.

This was after Suleiman had told the minister that they had been to the site where the demolitions took place and were shown everything.

 “I don’t agree with you. Let this be the last time I hear about this complain. I give you people one week to go and allocate those lands to them. If it is not enough, then we’ll find an alternative and manage it,” Wike said.

He also appealed to those whose buildings were demolished by the road project to accept the monetary part of the compensation before the land.

“If you don’t take the money, I will not give you people the land again. Go and collect the money. So, as you take the land, you start developing it, if I hear that you did not take it, I would not also give you the land and you would be the one that’ will suffer it,” noted Wike.

He added the initial compensation budget of N655m was increased to N1.3 billion due to the economic situation in the country.

The affected persons pleaded to be given the land behind the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Gishiri, alleging the place they were originally given was covered by water and not good for habitation.