By Ola Kay
Some concerned natives of Abuja have expressed displeasure over the spate of demolition of their rural communities without proper settlement or compensation and appealed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Nyesom Wike, to use his good offices to put an end to demolition of their rural communities without proper settlement or compensation.
The FCT natives lamented the demolition of about 100 houses in Kpaduma II village in Guzape District on September 4, alleging that the exercise was conducted without prior notice served the people.
One of the community chiefs, the Madaki of Kpaduma II, Simon Baba-Yerima, expressed displeasure that despite necessary support to the government , no attempt was made to carry them along in the demolition arrangement.
Speaking to journalists on the matter, Baba-Yerima stated that “It is on record that there is a court injunction restraining the authorities of the FCT and any allottees from entering the community for development or demolition pending the determination of the case. But we are surprised that a government that is supposed to obey the rule of law is the one violating it.
“We are appealing to Mr Wike, as a lawyer, to obey the court injunction and stop any further demolition in our communities. We are citizens of this country and original inhabitants of Abuja, so we should be accorded some dignity and respect because we are peace-loving people.’’
He decried the demolition exercise which he noted had resulted in the suffering of the people amidst the nation’s biting socio-economic challenge.
In similar vein, the District Head of Guzape, Chief Bitrus Yakubu, recalled that last Tuesday at about 10am officials of FCDA came to mark some houses in his community without informing them.
According to him, the FCDA authorities deployed well-armed joint security personnel and bulldozers to demolish close to 200 houses in the area.
He revealed that majority of the occupants of the houses were indigenes of the community, who are presently homeless. “When we asked them why they were demolishing the houses, they said it was an order from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike,” he stated.
The community chief reminded the FCT minister that during the construction of infrastructure in Rivers State, he never demolished houses attached to the villages.
The Pinnacle Times had reported similar exercise being carried out in other communities, in implementing the minister’s vow to demolish illegal buildings in Abuja, amidst certain court restraining orders
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