ON March 26, 2019, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) demolished a Kubwa-based orphanage run by the Divine Wounds of Jesus Christ Church. Some 150 orphans were rendered homeless. The authorities claimed the orphanage had no land documents and had violated development control requirements. It is possible the FCDA was right, though sometimes the government can be needlessly heavy-handed.
But where the FCDA was evidently and pigheadedly wrong was their refusal to take cognisance of the plight of the orphans who were exposed to the elements. After the demolition, the FCDA disclosed that it would find a solution to the homelessness they had caused. Said an official of the FCDA, Muktar Galadima: “In the beginning, we had sympathy and a kind heart for the children and we are looking for a way forward for the children, on how to cushion their hardships by relocating them so that they do not feel that they are rejected by the society. That is why the most important thing at this moment is the welfare of those children, which we are working seriously on. We want to provide succour for them, by getting them a temporary accommodation, even if it is for one year, so that our children will have a safe place to stay. This is because this government has a human face. We hope to do that as soon as possible.”
This is incredible sophistry. A far better option for a government that claimed to be empathetic would have been to find that temporary accommodation for the children before carrying out the demolition. Would a few days delay have undermined the government’s purpose?
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