3,500 natives and Centenary City project
The palace of Chief Monday Kogi, the head of Gbagyi people in Barwa, one of the villages to give way for the proposed Centenary City has been marked by the Department of Resettlement and Compensation, Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA). By the entrance to the palace, this coded red writing is conspicuous: FCDA/RC/CCP/BRW/13/001. Similarly, […]
The palace of Chief Monday Kogi, the head of Gbagyi people in Barwa, one of the villages to give way for the proposed Centenary City has been marked by the Department of Resettlement and Compensation, Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA). By the entrance to the palace, this coded red writing is conspicuous: FCDA/RC/CCP/BRW/13/001. Similarly, the house of the chief of Kpankpanyi is marked: FCDA/RC/CCP/KP/13/276. What this means is the local chiefs’ houses as well as those of their subjects so marked will be removed when those who hold title on this land come to work.
When Daily Trust visited, Kogi was not present. When reached on phone, Kogi promised sending someone to speak on his behalf. The man to speak for Kogi came but declined speaking after a tête-à-tête with John Bako, the guide that led this reporter to Kogi’s palace. He spoke with Kogi on phone in Gbagyi language then turned to this reporter to say he should leave his phone number so he would be called. Kogi did not call up till the time of posting this report.
Houses in the four villages swallowed up by the Centenary City project have been marked for demolition. The villages are: Barwa, Dayisna, Kpankpanyi and Toge, all in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The villages are close to a place called Gosa. Gosa is before Kuje junction on the way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, from Abuja.
Protests
Initially, the natives attempted resisting having their property enumerated. The Director, Department of Resettlement and Compensation, FCDA, Mr Francis Okechukwu said compensation has been paid for crops and economic trees that were counted and documented by his department.
Protests started last year. In a letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Centenary Celebration Committee, Anyim Pius Anyim, signed by their counsel, Mr Baba Panya Musa, the original inhabitants called for a stop to the project until all issues are resolved. Last December, Anyim assured the people that work would start only after full compensation is paid.
Now, work has started on that land and the people say no compensation yet. “In all past and present programmes, the Abuja original inhabitants have ended up with the short end of the stick. Promises made were not and still remain unfulfilled. Agreed prototype resettlement homes were never implemented,” Musa said.
President Goodluck Jonathan last year inaugurated a committee for the centenary where it was revealed that 1,264 hectares of land were excised for the Centenary City. A firm that goes by name Centenary City Plc was set up with mandate to build the Centenary City.
This company incorporated in April 2013 was said to have heeded to the call by the SGF for investors willing to put down not less than $100 million (N1.6 billion) investment toward the building of the Centenary City. It is said that 19 companies pooled their resources and became foundation shareholders.
President Jonathan inaugurated the company’s board of directors in October last year. On the list of the directors are: General Abdulsalami Abubakar (chairman), Mr Victor Udeh, Mr Monabee Mitee, Dr Pamela Obaze, Mr Olatunde Ayeni, Mr Adetokunbo Kayode, Mr Ugochukwu Nkwocha, Mr George Marks, Mr Hani Tanois Saliba, representative of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the representative of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Our reporter who visited the place observed that a building on top of a hill at the north-west end of the land has reached superstructure level.
Meanwhile, those living on this land maintain that no compensation has been paid them. A man who lives in Kpankpanyi, Baba Nuhu Yanche said, “Nothing has been paid. When they came [FCDA officials] last year, we told them we would not move. They promised showing us a place for resettlement with a design [for houses to be built] but they’ve not done that. We want to know where they’re taking us to first. Or they should fence us and leave us here.”
A halt to land clearing
Half way to Barwa from the airport road, the guide showed this writer where attempt by a group of persons to start work was resisted by the local people.
“They came with a caterpillar and started clearing grass. Some Fulani people saw them and alerted the villagers who came and chased them away. You can see the clearing here. They claimed they were military personnel hoping that they would scare the people,” Bako explained.
On this piece of land is a post reading: Coming Soon Rock Haven Homes Developed by Anbeez Services Ltd. Directly opposite here is a parcel of land designated Military Zone Keep Off.
The only public primary school in Barwa is marked for removal. The guinea savannah land has been serving these communities mainly for crop production. Cashew trees which can grow on their own are quite many. If they are moved out and the Centenary City Plc takes over, the place will become a huge construction site. The developers are poised to develop the site into a modern green city and enjoy returns on their investments. The project is meant to have a city that will commemorate Nigeria’s 100 years.
Divide and rule
The umbrella body of the original inhabitants of FCT known as Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) appears helpless in all this. The president of the association, Pastor Danladi Jeji accused government of dividing the people.
“There’s attempt to cut OIDA off the people so there will be no common fight. Three things are exploited by government: ignorance of the people, poverty and prejudice — OIDA is tagged evil. The people’s land is at stake. They make people sign documents they don’t understand.
“Our people embraced the federal capital as a way to development but the Nigerian elite have turned this to means of subjugation. Is Centenary City overriding public interest? Is Centenary City part of Murtala’s dream? OIDA is not part of the deliberations to resettle the people,” Jeji lamented.
Efforts by our reporter to get government’s stake in this company failed. But the SGF has always been at the centre of affairs. Officials of the Centenary City Plc equally remain unknown. When the SGF’s spokesman, Mr Sam Nwaobasi was called on phone, he denied that his boss has anything to do with the company.
The director of the department of resettlement and compensation, Okechukwu said Centenary City Plc compensation cost is N319 million which is borne by Centenary City Plc. He explained the cause of the crisis in the compensation process: “This was caused by initial misconception with respect to payment of compensation. The particular gentleman that protested [Monday Kogi], based on our findings, his name appeared 10 times – I mean his name and members of his family. They have an approximate value of N1.6 million to collect. “However, his first cheque bore the sum of approximately N150,000. He then carried the misconception that that was all he was being paid. His name appeared in 10 different places because he has various farms. We’ve been able to address that issue and he has come to apologise for the embarrassment he caused which of course, he did in ignorance. That issue has been resolved.”
Okechukwu who said compensation is for farmlands and economic trees stressed that pieces of land with nothing on them were not captured for payment. He said compensation so far paid does not cover homesteads.
“We’ve already conducted evaluation for their houses. But based on the Land Swap model which we adopted for this scheme, the developers are going to provide individual houses for the community members at a site that is yet to be concluded on. We’ve marked some sites but we still have to discuss further with the communities as to whether they want resettlement or relocation. Some sites have already been earmarked and the plans have been developed, including the housing designs. All this is still subject to further discussions with the community so there will be harmony with respect to what they want,” the director explained.
According him, the land has a population of approximately 3,500 spread among the four communities involved. When asked when compensation and resettlement processes will be concluded, the director replied, “I can’t give you a definite timeline. But we expect that within one to two years, we should conclude the issue of resettlement because the compensation for crops and economic trees will be concluded in the next two weeks.”
The cordinator, Abuja Infrastructure Investment Company (AIIC) Faruk Sani declined to speak.