Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences ISSN 2415-6256 (Print) Scholars Middle East Publishers ISSN 2415-6248 (Online) Dubai, United Arab Emirates Website: http://scholarsmepub.com/ Resettlement or Livelihood Deprivation: The Travails of Victims of Gidan Salihu Resettlement Scheme Goronyo Local Government Area, Sokoto State, Nigeria DANKANI, Ibrahim Mustapha Department of Geography, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria Abstract: It is commonly acknowledged that Government worldwide *Corresponding author resettled people and communities (particularly those along river channels) DANKANI, Ibrahim Mustapha from one geographical area to another on the basis of real, perceived and Email: lingering threat, danger, catastrophe or epidemic. The contention of this [email protected] paper is that despite the fact that most resettlement schemes are meant for the benefit of the community at large, the manner under which the Article History resettlement scheme was conceived, planned and implemented failed to Received: 27.09.2017 take into consideration the views/inputs of members of the community. Accepted: 03.10.2017 The resultant effect leads to loss of livelihood, tension, violence and Published: 30.10.2017 conflict in the affected communities and overall failure of the intended benefit of the scheme. This paper examines resettlement scheme at Gidan DOI: Salihu, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto state focusing on the 10.21276/sjhss.2017.2.10.4 viability of the scheme and livelihood deprivation and challenges it places on the victims and the community. Data for this study was obtained via administration of questionnaire to those affected by the resettlement scheme selected via purposive and systematic sampling techniques as well as Focus Group Discussion with community leaders. Purposive sampling technique was adopted in the choice of the respondents and systematic sampling technique was used to select respondents to be administered with questionnaire at the interval of every 6th respondents. A total of 216 respondents were selected via systematic sampling technique. Key findings of the study reveals that majority of those affected by the resettlement scheme lost their farm lands, source of pasture and water for their livestock and compelling them to resides in an unfamiliar housing settings reflecting more of an urban setting than rural. Majority of the victims refused to relocate to the new environment stressing that it is better to continue to live under threat of hazard than to live in an area which will render them economically and socially vulnerable to poverty and hopelessness. The study concludes by recommending involvement of community members in decisions and policies affecting the livelihood of displaced communities. Keywords: Resettlement, Livelihood, Deprivation, Goronyo, Sokoto State BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY in the case of Abuja. Various resettlement schemes People‟s movement in geographical space were put in place by Government to ensure smooth could be forced or voluntary in nature. History has resettlement of communities perceived to be under shown that natural disasters in the forms of wars, threat of recurring hazards in Nigeria such as the flooding, earthquakes and famine have necessitated Bakolori, Shiroro Dam, Kainji Dam and Goronyo dam people and communities to embark on forceful resettlement scheme [4-7]. Most of the aforementioned migration, relocation or resettlement to an entirely new schemes were put in place to relocate people and location [1-3]. In most cases Government often communities so as to create space for construction of compelled citizens to move from their native dams to harness water resources as well as safeguarding environment to a new one based on several those communities in close proximity to the dams and considerations revolving around safety from recurring the river channels so as to be free from dangers posed hazards such as flooding, landslides and requirement of principally by flooding. the area by government for developmental purposes as 878 DANKANI, Ibrahim Mustapha.; Saudi J. Humanities Soc. Sci.; Vol-2, Iss-10A (Oct, 2017):878-885 Sokoto state has been ravaged by flooding This study seeks to examine the travails of the over the years. A typical example is the 2010 flooding resettled victims at Gidan Salihu, Goronyo Local caused by excessive rainfall and the collapse of the spill Government and how it affects or shapes their way of Goronyo dam which is a multi-purpose storage adaptability and resilience and livelihood options. facility designed to store 942million cubic metres of water for irrigation and development of downstream The objectives of the study are to: areas from Goronyo to Argungu, covering an area of 1. identify challenges confronting the victims in the over 17,000 hectares. The dam was designed to provide new environment an annual regulated flow of 425 million cubit metres to 2. assess victim‟s views and level of satisfaction with double the present rice cultivated by farmers from the new environment 40,000 to 80,000 hectares [8, 9]. The combination of 3. gauge the degree of involvement of community collapsed spill ways and excessive rainfall resulted in members in decisions regarding the resettlement massive flooding. The aftermath of the flooding led to process loss of lives, properties and livelihoods. About 23 villages were submerged, 48 deaths were recorded and Justification of the Study more than 35,000 people displaced. Some of the The essence of any Government policy is to villages that were mostly affected by the flooding are, enhance the living conditions of the citizens not to Gidan Bashara, Tsaro, Gidan Yar‟ Fara, Gidan Ayuba, weaken or destroy it. Government over the years adopts Diboni, Sabon Garin Dole and Kagara. a top-bottom approach to decision making where it singlehandedly decides for people and communities on To avert future occurrence of the colossal loss what their requirements are or what they need to be of lives, properties and livelihoods, the Sokoto state provided with. This approach has failed in so many Government embarked on resettlement schemes to instances in achieving the desire goals and objectives of move villages close to the Rima river channels to higher Government policies [10-12]. Incorporating the locals ground. At the same time the State Government in or community members in decision making regarding conjunction with the Federal Government embarked on their livelihood will surely provide the Government housing development in the planned resettled areas in with the much needed blue print of the desires, order to ease housing challenges faced by victims of the expectations, fears and grievances of communities and 2010 flood. One of such areas where housing were built how they can effectively be addressed. It is on this for the victims is Gidan Salihu about 15 kilometers premise that this study seeks to examine the travails of away from Goronyo along the road leading to Goronyo victims of Gidan Salihu Resettlement in order to bring town. Majority of those resettled at Gidan Salihu are to the fore the need for inclusivity in decision making from Sabon Garin Dole and Kagara villages in Goronyo so as ensure success of policy initiatives and outcomes Local Government area whose villages were destroyed in Nigeria. during the 2010 flooding. A total of about 400 units of two bedroom flats were constructed in the area to house Study area the resettled victims. Under normal circumstances this Sabon Garin Salihu is located in Goronyo gesture should be a source of joy to the victims Local Government areas situated in the North-Eastern unfortunately the way and manner the resettlement of Sokoto state. It is 52km away from Sokoto township scheme was conceived, planned and implemented failed and 15km away from Goronyo township. It is about 234 to take into consideration the views/inputs of members meters above sea level and has a population of about of the community and their livelihood requirements. For 1260 people based on projections of the 2006 instance, the victims were resettled in an area where population census. Goronyo Local Government Area they have no farmlands, sources of water for irrigation covers a total land area of 1.704km2. Goronyo along and entirely new settlement setting replica of urban with other districts that made up Goronyo Local housing than rural.. The resultant effect leads to loss of Government Area lies between Latitude 13° 27' 11" livelihoods, tension, violence and conflict in the North, and Longitude 5° 40' 35" East. Goronyo shares affected communities and overall failure of the intended boundaries with Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government benefit of the scheme. Areas to the North, Achida village to the East and to the West by Kware LGA. (See, Figure 1.1.) Available Online: http://scholarsmepub.com/sjhss/ 879 DANKANI, Ibrahim Mustapha.; Saudi J. Humanities Soc. Sci.; Vol-2, Iss-10A (Oct, 2017):878-885 Fig-1: Sabon Garin Salihu (Map) METHODOLOGY Similarly, 12 community leaders comprising of Data for the study was obtained via primary Religious leaders, teachers, traditional authorities and and secondary sources. Primary data was obtained via Community elders were engaged in the Focus Group administration of structured questionnaire to those Discussion. affected by the resettlement scheme as well as Focus Group Discussion with community leaders. Secondary Inferential statistic was adopted in analyzing data was obtained through published document relating responses obtained