[JUST IN] 4.2km runway: FG announces N825.8m compensation for Abuja indigenes

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has resolved the months-long dispute regarding the establishment of a second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, announcing N825.819 million as compensation for indigenes of the territory to pave way for the construction of the 4.2km runway.

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, had in March 2022, approved the second runway, with the project broken into four components and meant for commissioning by June of 2023.

However, residents of part of Jiwa community which hosts the runway, protested their eviction from their ancestral lands, and demanded compensation from government.

At a troubleshooting parley with members of the community and other stakeholders yesterday, Wike said he understood their pains and would do all in his powers to get them their dues.

Consequently, he directed the immediate payment of N825 million in compensation to the affected land owners.

Speaking on the resolutions of the meeting, Wike said: “We have been able to resolve amicably with the community, and contractors will now move to site.

“The FCT, through the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, will release the money approved for compensation and settlement of those who are there. The total value is N825.82 million for the compensation and resettlement.

“As part of the incentives to the community, 12 immediate employment from the Ministry of Aviation and its agencies as the case maybe, and 10 from the Federal Capital Territory Administration have been guaranteed for Jiwa community.

“We are going to construct Tunga Madaki bridge, which we will put in the 2024 budget, with a 5km road. We are going to provide a modern healthcare facility for the community.

“The permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Aviation and that of FCTA, His Royal Highness (the Sarkin Jiwa), AMAC chairman, and the commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, PCC-FCT, will sign the agreement reached between government and Jiwa community.

”If that is done today, tomorrow or next, the moment the money gets to them, the contractors will no longer delay, as they have to move to site immediately and commence work. So, the second runway has come to stay.

“I know how you are feeling. I am from a community where government has taken virtually all our lands for development. So, if there is anything that should be done to make you happy, I will carry it on my head.

”But the truth remains that what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. If the aviation ministry had concerned itself with the runway project alone, we wouldn’t have found ourselves here but they came to usurp the job of the FCTA.”

”It is within the powers of the FCTA to do that. There is a certain legal schedule by which compensation is paid. We know the implications of not following the provisions of the law. When they say rule of law, it does not apply to government alone. It applies to all.

“We will perhaps think outside the box about, maybe in the area of social responsibility, to see how we can get other things for the people alongside what the law stipulates as compensation.”

Executive Secretary of FCDA, Shehu Hadi, had earlier clarified that the FCTA had no business offering compensation to occupants of land, having issued the land to a third party.

According to him, it is the duty of anyone who is offered land to compensate the occupants of that land.

“I want to clarify one of the issues raised which is payment of compensation. That is where the FCT perspective on this issue has to be made clear. It is the responsibility of the MDAs to make arrangements for the payment of compensation after we have allocated lands to them.

“The Department of Resettlement and Compensation in the FCT assists in he enumeration of economic trees, structures etc for compensation”, he stated.

The traditional ruler of the area, the Sarkin Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa, had explained the frustration of his people, saying he had for months had sleepless nights because of the back and forth in respect of compensation.

He said: “We sat with the Aviation and FCT Administration. Aviation has a consultant in respect of the compensation but it was the consultant who sat with us and the FCTA was an observer. In certain terms, we have agreed with the consultant that they will pay N2.5m per hectare.

“So, at last, the administration said aviation had no right to do that, that it is the FCTA that should do it. Then each hectare came to less than N700,000.

“The community wrote to the FCT Public Complaints Commission and up till yesterday, we were holding meetings in my palace to see that this issue is resolved in the overriding public interest.” He urged the aviation ministry and the FCTA to scale up the amount of compensation from less than N700,000, so people can acquire other lands.