The secretary of Kpaduma Community and the Madaki of Kpaduma Community 2 in Abuja, Simon Baba Yerima, has said the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Bar. Nyesom Wike’s intervention in integrating FCT indigenes within their ancestral homes would be on a golden record.
Yerima, in an interview with journalists in Abuja, while giving an update on the FCT minister’s pledge to address the demographic concerns of affected Indigenous Communities of Kpaduma I, II, III, Guzape, Apyekni, Jabi-Daki Biyu, Zhilu, Maje, among others, said the intervention would be a golden record in the history of Nigeria because the pledge by the minister will bring a glimmer of hope which Abuja indigenes have been clamouring for many years.
According to him, the villages passionately sought common justice and a fair hearing on their collective demand on the entire subject.
He echoed the deep concerns of his people, the ancestral settlers of Abuja, who had long felt marginalised by rapid urbanisation.
He said the Kpaduma community had identified specific areas within it and its neighbouring settlements suitable for resettlement.
According to him, they have identified vacant land within the indigenous domains and ensured that the areas are properly developed for the people’s resettlement.
He said once the assessment was complete and the reports submitted, they trusted that the FCT minister, known for his integrity and compassion, would keep his promise.
He explained that under the minister’s direction, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) had set up a committee in which he played an active role to assess the demographic needs of the ancestral communities.
He said the community would not accept relocation far from their ancestral homes. “We do not want to be taken to another chiefdom. This is non-negotiable,” he asserted.
He said the process was not without its challenges, adding that the community faced threats from urban expansion, with ongoing construction projects like roads, hospitals, and other public utilities encroaching on their lands.
Yerima stressed that those affected by such developments should be properly resettled within the identified areas. Moreover, the community was adamant that those not directly impacted should be integrated into the urban system with modern houses that matched the city’s standards.
On the issue of insecurity, he said the growing problem of crime had disrupted the peace of the community, and the minister had ordered the cutting down of trees that were used to conceal criminal activities.
“The people of Kpaduma responded quickly, clearing the areas to dislodge the miscreants who had been using the trees as hideouts.
“The minister was pleased with the swift action, and though insecurity remained a nationwide issue, the local government had been proactive in enhancing the vigilantes and working with law enforcement agents to secure the area,” he said.
Despite the progress, Yerima’s thoughts turned to the future, specifically the 2027 area council elections. As a political scientist, he understood the importance of unity and strategic planning in the democratic process.
“Our community cannot be left behind,” he stated, stressing the need for indigenous people to participate actively in the political landscape.
He called on political aspirants to unite for the common cause of advancing the welfare of the people without succumbing to internal divisions or the influence of powerful godfathers.
“We must come together as a united force to achieve our goals,” Yerima declared.
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