Centenary city: Gbagyi vow to resist enumeration

Category: News Published on Friday, 22 February 2013 05:00 Written by John Chuks Azu

The Gbagyi indigenes in the Gosa, Airport road area of the Federal Capital Territory have vowed to frustrate any further efforts to enumerate their houses for the proposed Centenary City project.

In a letter addressed to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Centenary Celebration Committee signed by their counsel Baba Panya Musa Esq., the natives called for a halt in the project until all issues are resolved.

President Goodluck Jonathan on February 6 inaugurated a committee for the centenary celebration anniversary and 1,500 hectares of land were mapped out for the centenary city in Abuja for the commemoration of the occasion in January next year.

The communities affected include: Barwa, Dayisna, Kpankpanyi and Toge villages all in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

Enumeration of houses was prevented by the natives after crops and economic trees were counted because of the seeming differences.

The natives claim that the compensation for the takeover the FCT through Decree 6 of 1976 has not been paid, adding that various demolitions carried out in the territory rendered the natives homeless and without adequate compensation.

Media aide to the SGF said government was yet to obtain a copy of the petition. But the Special Assistant Information to the Minister of the FCT Jamila Tangaza explained that the centenary city project is being handled through Private Public Partnership (PPP) adding that under the Land Swap model evolved by the FCT minister, companies allocated lands will bear the cost of compensation.