The Resettlement Policy in Urban Centres: the Case Study of Abuja

THE RESETTLEMENT POLICY IN URBAN CENTRES: THE CASE STUDY OF ABUJA BY TALLE MUSA SA'EED MASTERS PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION NO: 95428091 BEING A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAi, RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE AWARD OF A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA) APRIL 1999 CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this project has been presented by Talle Musa Sa'eed and has been approved accordingly. '°' J oo Supervisor Date I DR. IRO IRO UKE ftJ!i;Pk Head of PROFESSOR UMAR M. BIRARIIZ'. External Examiner Date DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the following people: Alhaji Danladi Ismaila - Chief of Karshi Alhaji Saidu Makaman Karshi - My father Hajiya Fatima Maichibi Saidu - My mother Late Alhaji Talle Keffi - My guardian Late Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman - My cousin 11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to acknowledge the efforts of all the people who have in one way or the other contributed to the successful pursuit of this project. However, I would like to first of all, express profound gratitude to the Almighty Allah (SWT) for graciously enabling both my physical and mental condition to undertake the entire programme and the project in particular. Then my sincere appreciation go to my research supervisor, Dr. I.I. Uke who greatly guided and assisted me through, and even on his sick bed! Indeed, may the Almighty God fasten his complete recovery . I also like to thank Mallam Mohammed Haruna Funky, Mallam Idris 0. Jibrin and Mr. Martins Oloja, former Editor of Abuja Newsday, all of whom assisted me with relevant materials in the cause of the research. Besides, I should want to express my thanks to some of my political friends and associates, namely, Alhaja Basirat Aj iborishe, Princess Vivian Ndigwe Anazodo, Emma Nnabuike, Mallam Usman Abubakar Nda, Alhaji Ibrahim Miringa and Major Abubakar Umar (rtd) . Still others are Alhaji Alhassan Gwagwa, Alhaji Musa Sokodabo, Alhaj i Ahmed Doko, Prince Tanko Abubakar, Alhaji Muhammadu Kuchazi, Alhaji A.A. Abdulkadir, Maj or-General A.B. Mamman (rtd), Hon. (Mrs) Esther Audu, Hon. Khairat A., Senator Hassan Tadanyigbe, Mallam Sabo Keana and Mallam Usman Musa Nasarawa. I will also not forget to acknowledge the supportive roles of my other friends such as Mallam Sabo, Major Ibrahim Ahmadu (rtd), Alhaji Jibrin Wowo, Hajiya Fati Adams, Hajiya Sa'adatu Abdullahi. Similarly, are those of my brother, Abdullahi Saidu, step mother, Gogo Sabuwa Saidu, my two wives, Hajiya Lami Musa and Ramatu Musa, and their children. Finally my thanks go to Joshua Aragi II of the University of Abuja who typed the project. iii • • '.·.... ''· J .. ABSTRACT The emergence of Abuja as urban centre today is traceable to the quest for a new capital city for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Being a new artificial creation, it should be expected that the inhabitants whose land had been acquired for the development of the new capital city be justly compensated and resettled. However, since the promulgation of the enabling Decree that created the new federal capital in 1976, the question of resettlement and compensation to the original inhabitants of the affected areas had remained unresolved. While the initial conception was to relocate all the affected inhabitants elsewhere outside the city this has not been so owing to failure of government to strictly implement the resettlement and compensation programmes. Consequently, the displaced communities are today widely dispersed within Abuja and neighbouring states such as Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and Kaduna, and are faced with a glaring crisis of identity which tends to call to question the import of the entire Abuja project. Thus being an integral part of the Abuja project, this study has arisen in order to come to terms with the resettlement policy and its implementation. lV TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Certification . 1 Dedication . ii Acknowledgement . 111 Abstract ............................ .................... iv Table of Contents .................v List of Table . ...............Vll CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . ...1 Background . 1 Urbanisation, Abuja and the Resettlement Question ...... .................3 Objective of Study . 8 Significance of Study . 8 Scope and Limitations of the Study ............ .. ...........9 Methodology . 9 Theoretical Framework . 11 Plan of the Study . 12 CHAPTER TWO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ABUJA AS AN URBAN CENTRE ............. 15 Genesis of a New Capital City ....... ....... ..... .... ...... ..... 16 The Physical Development of Abuja ...... ......... ... ......... .... 19 Housing and Office Accommodation . 22 Social and Infrastructural Development . 26 Distortions of Abuja Masterplan . 31 CHAPTER THREE THE RESETILEMENT OF ABUJA INDIGENES ... ... ... ......... ... 37 Displacement and Genesis of the Resettlement Policy . 37 Resettlement Outside Abuja . ....... ... ........... ....... ... ..41 Resettlement in Niger State . .............. ... ........ .......41 Resettlement in Plateau State . 45 Resettlement in K wara State . 51 Resettlement within Abuja ... ...... ..................... ....51 Socio-Economic Consequences of the Resettlement Policy .... ......... 53 v _J CHAPTER FOUR THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS OF THE RESETTLEMENT POLICY 59 Policy Shift and Inconsistent Implementation . 59 Resettlement and the Status of Abuja . 62 The PoliticO-Administrative Quagmire of Abuja . ... ......... .... 63 Resurgent Native Identity Vs the Bogey of a No Man's Land .............. 66 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION .. ...... ... ...... .... .. .... 70 Summary of Findings .. Recommendations . 7 4 A Concluding Note .........................................7 5 " vi J LIST OF TABLES PAGE I Population of some Nigerian cities, 1972 - 200 AD .. .....5 II. Performance of Housing in Various Districts from August 1985 - 1992 . 24 Ill. Distribution of House Types ..................... ...... ...24 IV. House-Holds for Resettlement .............................. 38 v. Opinion on Movement out of PCT . 39 VI. Movement to New Bwari Resettlement Centre ........ 42 VII. Movement to New Wuse Resettlement Centre ........ 43 VIII. Movement to New Gawun Resettlement Centre . .... ...... ........ 44 IX. Summary of Movement fromACT to Niger State Resettlement Areas ...... 45 X. Movement to New Ukya Resettlement Centre .... ................. 46 XI. Movement to New Gwargwada Resettlement Centre .. 47 XII. Movement to New Karu Resettlement Centre .. 48 XIII. Movement to New Karshi Resettlement Centre . 49 XIV. Movement to New Gudun Karya Resettlement Centre . ........... ... 50 XV. Summary of Movement from ACT to Plateau Resettlement Areas .... .... 51 vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background The emergence of Abuja as an urban centre today is traceable to the quest for a new capital city for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This quest became pronounced and received government attention in the mid-70s when, the then nation's capital city, Lagos, was increasingly becoming choked up and thus inconvenient to continue serving the nation in that capacity. Inter alia, traffic congestion, housing and environmental pollution, poor topography, etc continued to afflict both the smooth administration of Lagos as the capital city and the conduct of governmental operations. In order to deal with this national predicament, the government of General Murtala Mohammed appointed the Justice Akinola Aguda Committee which subsequently examined the matter and recommended the establishment of a new capital city for Nigeria. Thus, Abuja as the new Federal Capital of Nigeria was created by Decree No.6 of 1976. However,, it assumed the status of the nation's capital effectively on December 12, 1991 when the seat of government was relocated from Lagos. Abuja is located at the geographical centre of the country . It was carved out from Niger, Plateau and Kwara States and bounded on the North by Kaduna State, on the East and South-East by Nasarawa State, on the West by Niger and on the South-West by Kogi State. The city falls within latitude 25° N-90° 20'N and longitude 6°45' and 7°39'. The Federal Capital Territory occupies an area of about 8,000 square kilometres while the capital city, the seat of the Federal Government occupies an area of about 250 square kilometres. 1 The development of Abuja is planned in four phases. At the moment, the first phase has been virtually completed while the second has been started. Within this context the city has witnessed tremendous growth and development since inception. The rapid development of Abuja is manifested in various facets, including road and transportation, water supply, port and telecommunications, electricity, housing, office accommodation, education, health, agriculture and industries as well as tourism and recreation. Besides, the tempo of development seems to have been increased following the formal relocation of all federal government ministries and establishments to the new capital city in October, 1996. From all appearances, Abuja was conceived to promote national unity in all its ramifications. For instance, General Murtala Mohammed while announcing his government's decision to establish Abuja as the new Federal Capital pronounced that: The area is not within the control of any major ethnic groups in the country. We believe that the new capital created on such virgin land as suggested will be for all Nigerians a symbol of their oneness and unity. The Federal Territory will belong to all Nigerians. 2 It was thus within this context that government took the decision to relocate and resettle all the indigenous

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