September 25, 2012
Gbagyi indigenes in the FCT yesterday staged a peaceful protest in front of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja to criticize the proposed plans by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to relocate them from their land.
The protesters, who assembled under the auspices of Greater Gbagyi Development Initiatives, carried placards that read: “landlessness is lifelessness; our farmlands have been taken over; our children violated; give our land back to us”.
Coordinator of the group, Isah Abubakar, said they were at the hotel to express their displeasure over the FCT Minister’s comment at a town hall meeting on good governance.
He described the issue of compensation for land acquired as false, wondering whether it was the FCDA officials that paid or received the money.
Abubakar lamented that most farm lands belonging to indigenes have been taken away from them, adding that it has rendered them helpless and impoverished.
“We are not averse to development but maintained that we can as well develop our place if money is given to us,” he said.
The group leader vowed that they are not ready to leave their heritage for anybody and informed the FCT minister to consider their plights as well as listen to the indigenes yearnings by reversing his decision.
Source: All Africa
Leave a Reply