TheCable

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the administration will pay N825.8 million as compensation to residents affected by the proposed construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Wike spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the end of a closed-door meeting with members of the Jiwa community and other stakeholders.

He said 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, while 10 would be employed by FCTA.

He said the government would also construct the Tunga Madaki bridge alongside a 5km road leading 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.

He said that FCTA would equally provide a modern health facility to provide quality health care services for people of the community.

Wike 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; Isa Idris, the chief of Jiwa; the chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC); and the commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC).

“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,” he said

“So, the second runway has come to stay,” he said.

Wike said the current administration was determined to ensure that the second runway was delivered.

On his part, Emmanuel Meribole, permanent secretary, ministry of aviation, said that the second runway project was approved by the federal executive council (FEC) in March 2022.

Meribole said the project was awarded to four contractors in April, with CCECC Nigeria Limited as the major contractor.

He, however, said the project was stalled because of the disagreement over compensation to the affected community members.

Also speaking at the meeting, Idris said 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 said the amount was later reviewed downwards 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 the community took the matter to the PCC 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.