Resettlement site unhealthy, group says

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday February 7th, 2014

 By JENNIFER NKUI 

THE National Court has asked people living at the Paga Hill settlement to shift within 45 days and resettle at 6-Mile.

Joe Moses, chairman of the Paga Hill community, said the area at 6-Mile used to be the city’s biggest dumping  area but it was covered six years ago.

However, the area is still radioactive and that will be detrimental to people’s health, he said.

“The health authority does not allow it because it takes up to a thousand years for radioactivity to die out,” Moses said.

“The company has broken all settlement laws because land must first be acquired before people can be resettled.

“When people are resettled, their living conditions are expected to be better than the latter.”

Moses said rules and regulations required in the resettlement process and notice of eviction were not followed.

“There was no consultation with the community and the community was not aware of the land title or the eviction and resettlement notice.

“We have been given tents to resettle at 6-Mile with no provision of proper sanitation, power and water.

“We are being abused as human beings and our rights as citizens of this country are being abused as well.”

Moses is calling on the government to help because the people of Paga Hill are willing to move out but first all things must be done the right way.