Natives of Apo, Garki and Akpanjenya communities in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have called on the FCDA Development Control, to stop further demolition of their houses and instead, address the resettlement and compensation issues.
Angered by last Saturday’s demolition of houses in Akpanjenya community in Apo Area of FCT, the residents asked the FCTA officials to set the record straight by publishing every document concerning the issue of the Akpanjenya resettlement.
It could be recalled that over 134 houses were demolished in Akpajenya community on Saturday, Aug. 15, by Development Control, to pave way for the construction of a major road network in the area.
The spokesperson of the community, Rev. Tanko Danjuma, while briefing journalists, challenged FCDA to clear its name over series of alleged fraud that rocked the resettlement of indigenes of the Akpanjenya community and Garki village.
He described as dubious, FCT administration’s breach of the original agreement reached by both parties over the resettlement of Garki, Apo and Akpanjeya communities.
“It is clear and on record that natives of the only community got a benefit 40% of resettlement, while the FCDA officials and other Nigerian benefited 60% despite there untouched community.
“Consequently, at what point or time does resettlement require the use of force, Security personnel and night invasion/demolition.
“On this note, We expected APC government Under president Muhammad Buhari to be human and more democratic in carrying out function.
“We have been in court for over six years for the Garki, Akpanjeya and Apo community on the resettlement when the first exercise was done they were only able to execute fifty five percent of the allocation to members of the communities entitled for allocation.
“About forty four percent of the community members were still left out with hope that their own will come up very soon but while we were still waiting the FCDA administration mobilised and o demolished our present existing settlement,” he said.
The spokesperson said the demolition exercise, which he alleged did not follow due process, had rendered thousands of the natives and residents homeless, adding that it was not in the interest of the people.
He also called for a probe to unravel the rationale behind the quick evacuation of the indigenes without human consideration.
“They carried out the demolition and most of our people have been rendered homeless this is a place we have leaved for centuries not like the new settlement and because their mobilised security agencies to mark our houses we did not have any other option than to go to court.
“There has been a rise in birth significantly and about 30% underaged are now above 18 years. We want to know how if we can not be part of Nigeria. They have deny us democratic power’s, seized our lands, and now demolishing our homes.
“The court granted us an injunction restraining the minister and his agencies not to demolish our villages until the determination of the case and the past minister of state Olajimoke Akinjide came on board and pleaded our villagers for out of court settlement.
“This whole issues started since 2000 and we are now in 2020 and now they want to played with our intelligent by using FCT taskforce to invade our community at about 3 am without our consent to level down the community,” he further said.
Danjuma alleged that claims by FCDA that the communities had been resettled and compensated before the demolition exercise, was not true, adding that the resettlement process was still ongoing.
“At first we were not satisfied with the way FCDA was going then because we discovered that the FCDA had tempered with the agreement and we know that commercial plot were being allocated out” .
“In fact due process is a prerogative in the hands of a Gbagyi man and i want to make it clear to you that the citizen and our stakeholders are never participant of the development affairs of the FCT.
“Yet the capital of the Nigeria is situated here and for that reason we embraced every tribe so that we can stay here as one Nigeria but the action of the FCDA against our people are fraudulent and they are refusing to give us attention.
“We are sending a save our soul( SOS) to president Muhammadu Buhari to come of to our recue over a renued move by the the FCDA to demolish render us homeless in our ancestral land,” he said.
