The community of Nuwalege located Behind Air Force Base along the Airport road in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by reversing the planned demolition of some of their houses by government agency.
Speaking to Newsmen yesterday, the village head popularly known as Aguma of Nuwalege, Bashir Daudu said that some officials from the Federal Capital Department Authority (FCDA) were escorted by Air Force personnel visited the community few weeks ago and marked some houses including his palace for demolition with the claims that they are part of the Presidential Air fleet route.
According to him the officials told the community that the demolition was necessitated by request from the authority of the Nigerian Air Force who wrote to the honourable minister on their needs and desire to remove the village because it is part of the presidential fleet plots.
The Monarch stressed that they have initiated legal case regarding that noting that what the Airforce had claimed their farmland which is located directly opposite their base without proper compensation and today they are coming back again trying to claim their residential area without due process so where did they want them to go?
He said ” we’re calling on President Bola Tinubu through the Minister of FCT, Nyeson Wike to call on the Airforce to order as we don’t have any place to go.
“We want the government to intervene, we are not disobeying the government but we want the government to know that we are also citizens of this country and if they demolished our houses now where can we go to.
“the airforce people have been coming here on countless times to take over the land but we have been asking them where is the resettlement that we have not seen anywhere they demolished indigene without resettlement,”
The Chief revealed that the case is in the court court and they have secured court order that everybody should maintain status quo but still they do not respect that court order they are coming to mark these structures for demolition.
He stressed that Airforce personnel have been disturbing the Community for long with this issue of Demolition as a Host Community Whom accommodate must of their personnel, and other agencies like Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS),Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Nigeria Fire service among others.
He solicited to the Tinubu’s led government to urgent intervene as their children and elderly women, youths who are inhabitants of the community are already panicking about the development.
The Central Chairman of the Community, Retired NIS Comptroller Oguntoyinbo Charles who has being in the community for over 16years said ” Nuwalege is a community of AMAC therefore there is a constituted laws guiding the community.
” The community land doesn’t belong to neither air force nor any of these agencies but the land belongs to the indigenous people of Bassa and Gbagyi whom they visitors met and are residing peacefully.
The Chairman clarified that the location that the Airforce personnel are claiming is along airport road not behind their base.
He said ” the land the Airforce are claiming is along airport road not behind Airforce base so they should take note that we are located behind NIS, behind Airforce base, behind correctional service, behind Immigration and behind Civil Defence.
Our Reporter couldn’t get reaction from the Airforce at the time of filing as calls to the spokesman wasn’t reachable.
Meanwhile, The Chairman of AMAC, Hon Christopher Maikalangu had a roundabout discussion with the community stakeholders to find lasting solution to the demolition planned.
The Chairman who was represented by the Supervising Director of Works and The supervising councillor for works and Housing, Hon. Zana Dantani called on the masses for peace as the Chairman will handle the situation without rancours.
He said “we are aware and have been informed about the demolition marked in the community and we in the government will follow it logically to use principles in ensuring that the situation is resolved amicably to avoid crisis.
” The FCT has come to stay and we in the local government we’re approaching the government that we have our people as inhabitants who cannot go anywhere as this is their home therefore they use constitution in handling any issue.
