By Sarah NEGEDU
Trouble maybe brewing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, as the Acting Executive Secretary of the agency, Engr. Richard Yunana, has been fingered in an alleged compensation and relocation fraud affecting Gishiri Village.
Recall that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had to personally intervene after attempts to relocate those affected by the ongoing construction of the N16 road through Gishiri Village failed, thereby delaying the project.
Our correspondent gathered that over 455 residents, comprising indigenes and non indigenes, had their properties demolished last week.
Community members had accused officials of the FCT Administration of underpayment among other shoddy arrangements in the relocation and compensation of affected residents.
In a move that seem to confirm these accusations, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, lambasted the FCDA boss, Engr. Richard Yunana, for alleged attempt to defraud victims of Gishiri demolition.
The Minister while addressing stakeholders and a delegation of Gishiri Community’s leaders, expressed anger over the shady deals which the ES was allegedly promoting in the compensation of the victims.
Wike who said he has approved the sum of N1.3 billion for the compensation of the victims, became shock when he heard that the department of Compensation and Relocation, which is under the FCDA, was offering victims way below what was approved for them.
Wike, who expressed shock that the Acting Executive Secretary who is an indigene of Abuja, will connive with others to defraud his own people.
The Minister warned him to retrace his steps immediately and pay the victims what he approved or get sacked.
“Go and pay people their money, the exact amount. The one I approved cause I’m hearing so many things. If you are doing any deal and I find out, you will regret it. Cause I’m hearing so many things. Give people their normal money. The day I hear such things again, you will tell me how. I will remove you from there.”
Trouble started for the embattled ES when the youth leader of Gishiri community, Umaru Godwin accused him of changing the Minister’s instructions concerning their relocation.
Godwin said that the ES without recourse to the Minister’s directives has proposed a water logged environment, where the victims of the demolition will not be able to build any structure.
Another community member, Princess Juliet Jonah alleged that the victims were protesting because offered N72, 000 per building to victims.
The minister however assured the affected persons of their complete compensation irrespective of their status as indigenes or non-indigenes.
“Government does not pay compensation based on where you come from. Compensation is based on who has papers there. It is not I am Igbo for example, I have papers, but I won’t pay you. If a road is passing through your land, you deserve to be paid. Nobody should be denied because they are ‘non-indigenes,” the minister stressed.
