Wike alleges resettlement fraud, threatens to sack FCDA Executive Secretary
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has threatened to sack the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Richard Yunana Dauda, over alleged fraud in the compensation and resettlement of 455 residents affected by the demolition of houses in Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.
Wike issued the warning on Monday while addressing community leaders and aggrieved stakeholders, expressing shock at irregularities in the disbursement of the N1.3 billion compensation fund he had approved for the victims.
He accused the FCDA and the Department of Compensation and Relocation of offering affected residents amounts far lower than the approved sum.
The minister criticized Dauda, an Abuja indigene, for failing to uphold the trust placed in him by both the community and the administration. He warned that Dauda would be dismissed if he did not ensure that victims received their full entitlements.
Residents of Gishiri Village took turns to accuse Dauda of deliberately altering the minister’s directives. One of the victims, Umaru Godwin, lamented that they were allocated land in a waterlogged area unsuitable for rebuilding their homes.
Another resident, Princess Juliet Jonah, revealed that they were offered as little as N72,000 per house, regardless of the actual value of their properties.
The controversy follows the demolition exercise carried out to make way for the ongoing construction of Shehu Shagari Road in the area.
Wike reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring justice for the displaced residents and vowed to take action against any official involved in fraudulent practices.
