By Sarah NEGEDU
At least 200 houses in Nuwalege community, located along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Road, will have to go to make way for the expansion of the presidential fleet area.
FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has directed the FCT Department of Development Control to engage the community in order to ensure a hitch free recovery of the plot and possible relocation of the locals.
Speaking at a community and citizens’ engagement forum Tuesday, the Director, Department of Development Control, Tpl Mukhtar Galadima, said the measure was pursuant to the request from the Nigerian Air Force in November.
Galadinma said, “About a month ago, the authority of the Nigerian Air Force wrote to the honourable minister on their need and desire to relocate this village, because it is part of the presidential fleet plots.
“So, the minister in his wisdom requested them to allow the FCT administration to handle it because it’s the responsibility of the FCT Administration. The Nigerian Air Force approached the Department of Development Control on their desire.
“We have to do a community and citizens’ engagement, which is why we are here today to discuss with the community and to tell them of our intention, because it will be unfair to just bring the machine here and start removing their houses.
“So, we visited the chief at his palace to meet him, and we told him our reason for coming to this place.”
Galadima hinted that about 150 to 200 houses with commercial stores that are attached to them will be affected by the development.
Fielding questions from journalists on the issue of compensating the affected natives, the firector said: “We will discuss with the Air Force, because obviously discussion behind the scene indicates that some forms of compensation were paid. But, we have to be certain that this compensation actually was paid, and also those given this compensation.
“We are going to conduct further investigation by engaging the FCT Department of Resettlement and Compensation as well as the Nigerian Air Force, and find out if compensation has been paid to who and when?
“And then, we will discuss with our colleagues at the Department of Resettlement and Compensation whether at any point in time, there was any compensation that ascertained their claims as regards to the number of structures and people that are going to be affected by this expansion project.”
The director also called for the need to consider issues of security in the expansion and development of the presidential fleet plot, warning that men of the underworld could be disguising and hiding in the settlement.
“And looking at this, the Air Force formation, which is the presidential fleet, is too close, for these things to co-habit. So we will see if there is that urgent desire to remove part of this community, we will do it.
“So, we have to do some community engagement. It is not the entire community because we have gone round, and we have seen the areas affected by the presidential fleet plot and the areas that are outside that plot.
“At least we have given him the respect as a high-class person. We have discussed and informed him why we are here, and we are coming back again for a wider consultation involving the Nigerian Air Force, our colleagues, and then the community heads. So I think we have done the needful by engaging them adequately.”
