FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja
Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory are demanding a fair hearing for Engr. Richard Yunana, Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, has been linked to alleged compensation fraud.
The media reported on Monday that Yunana attempted to defraud victims of demolition at Gishiri village of their compensation. However, a coalition of civil society organizations in the FCT claims that the media misrepresented the FCT Minister’s statements at a meeting with stakeholders from Gishiri Village.
The group, comprising the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organization, FCT Youths Network, Abuja Original Inhabitants Women Association, Abuja Grassroots Ambassadors, and the Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs, called for a probe into the fraud allegations, insisting that Yunana was wrongfully accused.
In a joint statement, the group quoted the FCT Minister’s press release, which emphasized fair compensation for owners of demolished structures in Gishiri Village, regardless of their status as indigenes or non-indigenes.
The release stated, “The Minister directed officials responsible for the disbursement of compensation funds to ensure that all eligible owners of affected structures receive the full amount of their approved compensation.”
The group argued that Yunana’s name was not mentioned in the statement and that it was unfortunate that his reputation was being tarnished by speculation.
They emphasized the importance of presenting facts accurately and noted that they had investigated the demolition, compensation, and relocation of affected persons from Gishiri Village.
The civil society organizations called for a thorough investigation into the alleged fraud, allowing all parties to present their cases.
They also commended FCT Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for increasing the compensation budget from N655 million to N1.3 billion and expressed trust in his ability to investigate the disbursed funds.
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