From Garba Abdullahi Bagwai, in Kano
Barely two days after Citizenship Daily reported the plight of more than 100 farmers whose farmlands were acquired for constituency projects allegedly facilitated by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, without payment of compensation, a delegation has been sent to Bagwai Local Government Area of Kano State to collect data on the affected landowners.
The four-member delegation, led by a former Chairman of Bagwai Local Government Area, Alhaji Inuwa Zangina Dangada, met with the affected farmers on Friday at the office of the Acting Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Haruna Garba.
Speaking at the meeting, Dangada said the delegation was in Bagwai on the directive of the Deputy President of the Senate to engage the affected farmers and find a solution to the matter.
He said the senator responded immediately after the farmers’ complaint went viral and was published by some national newspapers, directing the delegation to hold an emergency meeting with them in the presence of the local government chairman.
Dangada said the delegation was directed to compile the names, figures and other relevant data of farmers whose farmlands were measured and acquired for the construction of a town hall and recreational projects within the Bagwai Dam area.
According to him, the compiled data would be forwarded to the Deputy President of the Senate, who would present the matter to the Kano State Governor, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, and commence discussions on the payment of the compensation.
“Normally, payment of compensation is solely the responsibility of the state government, not the member who facilitates the project,” he said.
He appealed to the affected farmers to exercise patience, assuring them that the Deputy President of the Senate would meet with the governor and present the compiled list of affected landowners for consideration.
He added that efforts would be made to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
In his remarks, the Village Head of Bagwai, Alhaji Aminu Adamu Bagwai, called for the speedy processing and payment of the compensation, saying the matter had lasted for more than three years.
He urged all stakeholders involved to ensure that the affected farmers and their families received their compensation.
Responding on behalf of the affected farmers, Alhaji Shuaibu Dan Na Ko’ina said many of the landowners had been facing difficult economic conditions since their farmlands were acquired for the projects without compensation.
“Some have already died without collecting their compensation. Some have lost the land they depended on for cultivation because it was demarcated for the projects.
“Many of us practise both rainy-season and dry-season farming, but now we have been denied access to our farms for years. This is very disheartening,” he said.
Another affected farmer, Rabiu Alhaji Sani, told the senator’s representatives that if concrete action is not being taken within 10 days, they will resume their protest.
He urged the authorities to ensure that their demands were given serious consideration and resolved without further delay.
