By Kamil Opeyemi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration (FCTA) will pay N825.8 million as compensation for the construction of second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Wike stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while briefing newsmen at the end of a closed-door meeting with members of the Jiwa community and other stakeholders.
He said that the amount would be paid through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for compensation and resettlement of the people of the community affected by the project.
He added that as part of the incentive, 12 people from the community would be employed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and its agencies and 10 by FCTA.
He added that the government would also construct the Tunga Madaki bridge along with a five-kilometre road from the bridge to the community for easy movement of the people.
The minister explained that the project would be captured in the 2024 budget of the FCTA.
Wike also said that FCTA would equally provide a modern health facility to provide quality health care services for people of the community.
He said that an undertaking would be signed based on the agreement between the government and the community.
He identified the signatories as the permanent secretaries of FCTA and ministry of aviation, the Chief of Jiwa, the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Council and the Commissioner, Public Complaint Commission.
“If that is done today, and tomorrow or next tomorrow the money is paid to them, contractors will no longer delay. They have to move to the site immediately and commence work.
“So, the second runway has come to stay,” he said.
He said that the current administration was determined to ensure that the second runway was delivered.
He commended the Chief of Jiwa, Alhaji Isa Idris, for mobilising his people to attend the meeting to resolve the crises.
His counterpart, Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said that he met the issue on his table, adding that the project ought to have been delivered in July.
Keyamo said that the contractors could not be mobilised because of the issue of compensation.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, said that the completion of the project requires the support of all relevant stakeholders.
Adesola commended Wike for the intervention to ensure a quick resolution of the issue.
Dr Emmanuel Meribole, Permanent Secretary, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said that the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council in March 2022.
Meribole said that the project was awarded to four contractors in April, with CCECC Nigeria Limited as the major contractor.
He, however, said that the project was stalled because of the disagreement over compensation to the affected community members.
Earlier, the Chief of Jiwa, said that the ministry of aviation through its consultant had earlier pegged the compensation at N2.5 million per hectare, for the 12,000 hectares allocated for the project.
Idris further said that the amount was later reviewed downward to N700,000 per hectare when FCTA took over the discussion as the rightful authority to determine how much compensation to be paid.
He said that the community took the matter to the Public Complaint Commission with a view to resolve the issue amicably.
The community leader said that his people were concerned that the N700,000 being offered per hectare would not be enough for the affected persons to acquire another land.