FCTA…Seeks
Immediate Implementation, Capturing of Resettlement & Compensation of
Indigenes In National Priority Budget
of FGN.
Bala
Mohammed, FCT Minister inaugurated a Ministerial Committee to resolve the
lingering Apo Resettlement Dilemma was on 2nd August 2012, FCTA
Committee Recommends Capturing of Resettlement and Compensation of Indigenes in
National Priority Budget, Seek Immediate Implementation of the relocation of
Indigenes to the New Apo Resettlement Town. The recommendation which include,
Federal
Government has been advised to capture the resettlement and compensation of the
original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Priority
Budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria which was one of the major
recommendations in the report of the Ministerial Committee on Facts Finding and
the Way Forward on Apo Resettlement Scheme, which was submitted on Thursday
yesterday to Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of State for FCT by the Joshua Kaura,
Vice Chairman of the Committee.
Kaura,
explained that the resettlement and compensation of indigenes could not
satisfactorily be funded under the FCT Administration’s Statutory Budget, rather
that the issue of resettlement and compensation is the business of the Federal
Government which involves huge capital resources and also constituting security
problems within the territory.The
Committee recommended that the FCT Administration liaise with the Federal
Government of Nigeria to include the resettlement and compensation of original
inhabitants of the FCT in its National Priority Budget,” said Kaura, who is the
Director, Inspectorate, Planning and Management of FCT Area Councils Service Secretariat.
He
noted that the Committee, in arriving at its recommendations, consulted widely
with the Councils of Elders and Chiefs in the various communities, youth
leaders and members and other stakeholders in addition to undertaking on the
spot assessment of the communities, further recommended immediate implementation of the
relocation of indigenes to the New Apo Resettlement Town and further stated
that the Committee recommended a review of the FCT Resettlement Policy in
accordance with the best global practices.
The
Minister commended members of the Committee for painstakingly accomplishing the
terms of reference and assured that the FCT Administration would study and
implement the recommendations “In democracy, everyone has a stake, including the
original inhabitants, the Federal Government, FCT Administration, residents and
international community. This report has given us a road map and way forward
that we can follow and “The FCTA under the able leadership of the Bala Mohammed,
Minister of FCT will examine the report and implement it. This is the way
democracy can succeed in Nigeria,” Akinjide said.
The
Ministerial Committee on Fact Finding and the Way Forward on Apo Resettlement
Scheme was chaired by the Helen Oloja, Solicitor-General, Federal Capital
Territory with Members
of the Committee include Joshua Kaura, Director, Inspectorate, Planning and
management of Area Councils Service Secretariat, Micah Jiba, Chairman of Abuja
Municipal Area Council, Francis Okechukwu, Director, Resettlement and
Compensation Department, Tukur Ibrahim Bakori, Director of Satellite Towns
Development Agency, Hussaini Badeggi, Special Adviser to the Minister of FCT on
Lands, Festus Tsarvsar, Legal Adviser to the Minister of State for FCT andr.
Benedict Ogenyi, Special Assistant to the Minister of State for FCT on
Resettlement.
Other
members of the Committee were, Steven Awoniyi, Special Adviser to the Permanent
Secretary on Lands, Bashir Muhammed, Director of FCT Security Services
Department, Eni Ugot, Director of Public Building, FCTA, Abubakar Sulieman,
Director of Urban and Regional Planning, Helen Obiechina, Deputy Director,
Planning and Resettlement, E.O. Odebode, Deputy Director, Valuation and
Compensation, Baba Kura Umar, Deputy Director, Monitoring & Control and
Adebowale Sanusi, Representative of the Director of Security Services,
Terms
of Reference of the committee members include, To highlight all outstanding
issues affecting the Apo Resettlement Scheme;, Look into the complaints by the
indigenes on cases of omission of allocation of houses and plot;, identify,
give accurate data on aggrieved persons and liaise with the communities in
order to come up with immediate and lasting solution to the identified
problems, To explore out of court settlement where there are litigations, To
suggest new areas for layout plans where the affected indigenes will be
resettled and to ensure commitment from all aggrieved parties and stakeholders
through direct discussions and negotiation in order to gain their confidence.
