Following a decision
to establish a Federal University in Wukari town in 2011, the state government
had acquired 200 hectares of land after agreeing to compensate its original
owners.
Since then, the
government had refused to honour its promise, leading to prolonged legal
battle.
In 2017, judgment
was delivered in favour of the plaintiffs (land owners), directing the
government to pay them compensation.
Justice Silas Haruna
of Taraba State High Court, Wukari Division, had awarded the sum of N245m
compensation to the plaintiffs for losing 200 hectares of land to the state
government.
However, since then,
the government of Taraba had refused to implement the court order, causing the
plaintiffs untold hardship.
One plaintiff,
Solomon Aji, told SaharaReporters that the land was the community's only source
of livelihood.
Counsel to the
plaintiffs, Pwamaddi Shagnah, wondered why the government was delaying paying
about the compensation.
He said, “Recently,
the government of Taraba State had promised to pay the money around January 2020
and later on 26 February, 2020 but typical of the state government, it failed
to fulfill its promise and obligations under the law."
Taraba State
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice could not be reached for comments
as of the time of this report.
However, a senior
government official said, "Governor Ishaku Darius is concerned about the
matter and it would be resolved soon."
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