Community leaders in loggerhead with NFC..

Nukpis District is one of the eleven Districts of Jos Izere Chiefdom.The Community is facing the challenges of Land grabbing and encroachment by the National Film Institute. In an exclusive interview with our correspondent. The District head of the community,Adagwom Kaze Atsi accused the Nigeria Film corporation of encroaching on their ancestral land without any compensation. They acquired a land through the former Governor Fidelis Tapgun and late Mr Musa Garba Izam and paid them the compensation of about twenty one million naira or there about,our people were called around 2006 at the corporation’s headquarters and were giving two thousand naira while some received one thousand five hundred naira as economic trees. Since then,they came and fenced their land and constructed some edifices and recently moved there to commence academic activities. The National film institute,which is an academic Institution under the corporation and affiliate of the University of Jos,they held their Matriculation recently and they invited us as the mere spectators and to our greatest consternation,the representative of the Managing Director,claimed that they acquired one hundred and sixty eight hectares of land from the host community. To me, that is the figment of their imagination, our land especially the one close to the dam is use for dry season and rainy season farming by  my subjects and is the main source of their Economy.They don’t even know that we exist as Traditional rulers and community leaders of this place,they imposed a strange name on our community,they named their institution as National Film Institute,Lamingo Jos.Instead of Nukpis,which is in Jos Jarawa political ward while Lamingo is a different ward entirely both in Jos North Local Government Area.  Nukpis Community which hosts three to four Federal institutions,viz; Jos University Teaching Hospital,National Film Institute,Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology,school of health sciences. Despite these federal presence,the community is battling with myraids of challenges from which includes environmental pollution generated through carbon monoxide and emission generated from their power generating station and sewage of the hospital, pose serious health problems, Lack of the access road that lead to the community that has been barricaded and balkanized by JUTH and National Film institute,there is no alternative route unless you pass through Jos University Teaching Hospital. Mostly the residence of Nukpis always pay the supreme price,they almost face harassments from the internal security as well as external securities employed by the Hospital to maintain security of the hospital. Those institutions have not even for once assisted the community as their part of corporate social responsibilities. As a host community,they deserved such privileges and cordial relationships  be established and sustained.The District head further stressed that,they don’t give us chance for admission,Employment and other empowermentsts. The worst part of it Is that,our women who are petty traders are not even allowed to trade within those institutions. I feel so bad that our land is used for such institutions but we are at the receiving end. We have our children that have graduated from various institutions of learning and are able bodied men and women. The host community also deserved Junior staff employment as is enshrined in the federal character commission.As a leader of my community, I want to appeal to the Management of the Film Corporation, National film institute,Jos University Teaching Hospital,to do the needful,as law abiding citizens,we will continue to fight for our rights via constitutional and peaceful means.As at the time of filling this report,the phone numbers of the Rector national film Institute and that of the PRO of JUTH were both switch off and not reachable respectively to hear their own side of the story.

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Community leaders in loggerhead with NFC..

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- Citizen Journalist, public Opinion Analyst Writer and Literary critic