Federal Capital Territory Compensation, Resettlement and Welfare Board (Establishment, Etc) Bill 2021, sponsored by Hon. Gaza Gbefwi, who is representing Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency in Nasarawa State, has passed for second reading.
The Bill, seeks to cater to the plights of Indigenous People of Abuja, who were forcefully vacated to make room for the development of Abuja as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria.
According to Hon. Gbefwi,
“over the decades, development-induced displacement and resettlement have taken place in FCT, Abuja and despite different resettlement policy strategies utilised, none has yielded any positive result.
Debating on the floor of the House, Gbefwi further said, “Among the challenges found inhibiting the effective implementation of the resettlement policy strategies in FCT include corruption, lack of funding, inadequate involvement of the indigenous people or community members in the implementation of resettlement policies among others.
“Generally, resettlement, whether in the form of voluntary or involuntary, always has its repercussions for the displaced persons and the organisation of government initiating the idea of resettlement. The group of people being compelled to pave the way for development will unavoidably encounter a decrease in their standard of living.”
The lawmaker stated that an FCT Compensation, Resettlement and Welfare Board chaired by an indigenous extraction, with representatives from the six Area Councils and representatives of the indigenous traditional council, who are knowledgeable and familiar with the challenges of compensation and resettlement in the FCT, could proffer a lasting and permanent solution to the issues.”
