The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has defended the N300,000 relocation fee required from artisans and traders being moved from the Apo Mechanic Village to Wasa.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Coordinator, Felix Obuah, clarified that the fee covers non-refundable land registration costs and aims to deter fraudulent applications.
Obuah revealed that 11,000 traders have already registered for the relocation exercise, emphasizing that the fee helps filter out “ghost names” from the process. However, he expressed concern over reports of union leaders extorting artisans, charging amounts as high as N1 million for relocation forms. He vowed to involve security agencies to address such misconduct.
“We have registered over 11,000 individuals, but some dubious elements are extorting traders with false promises of land allocation. The government will ensure that only legitimate applicants benefit,” Obuah stated.
He noted that inflated lists containing over 45,000 names had been submitted by unions, prompting the AMMC to conduct physical verification of eligible traders.
The relocation process, delayed for over 25 years, is set to conclude by the end of the month. Obuah reassured stakeholders that the exercise remains transparent, denying rumors of allocations to government officials or other unauthorized persons.
The AMMC also committed to publishing the names of all beneficiaries to maintain accountability.