Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), threatened yesterday to fire Yohana Dauda, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), for allegedly trying to defraud 455 Gishiri village demolition victims.
This came after he became aware that the Executive Secretary, working with the Department of Compensation and Relocation, provided the victims with far less than the N1.3 billion he had approved for their compensation.
Last week, the homes of the victims—who included both indigenous and non-indigenous people—were demolished due to the ongoing road construction.
Wike voiced his displeasure with the Executive Secretary’s purportedly dubious dealings in the compensation process for the impacted residents while addressing important stakeholders and a delegation of leaders from the Gishiri Community.
The Executive Secretary, an Abuja native, had betrayed the confidence that his community and the government had placed in him, Wike said, expressing his frustration over the dubious transactions.
The Minister threatened to fire him if he didn’t immediately make amends by giving the victims the authorized sum.
Umaru Godwin, the youth leader of the Gishiri community, had previously charged that the beleaguered Executive Secretary had changed the Minister’s directives concerning the community’s move. Godwin claims that because the ES suggested a wet location for the relocation, the victims of the demolition would not be able to erect any buildings there.
Juliet Jonah, another community member, claimed that the victims were demonstrating because the compensation offered was only N72,000.
