Assessment of Involuntary Resettlement Action for the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gully Erosion Control Project in Gombe Metropolis, Gombe State, Nigeria

The study assesses the procedure for the implementation of involuntary settlement for the rehabilitation and control of gully erosion along the FCE gully system in Gombe Metropolis. The study reviewed the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) document for the FCE gully control project, covering approximately five communities where the environmental and social management plan recommended involuntary resettlement. The study highlighted the importance of the Resettlement Action Plan, including project impacts Identification, project-affected persons, legal framework for land acquisition and compensation, framework for compensation, etc. The methodology involved in the study included project impacts determination, project-affected persons identification through various eligibility criteria that help in defining and identifying various categories of project-affected persons. The study finds that there are about 343 (PAPs) and 60 vulnerable people identified along the FCE Gully project area, which are distributed among the Project communities of London Mai Dorawa, having 81 PAPs, Jauro Abare 34, Koran Zaki 24, Wuro Ladde 54, Arawa 72, Jauro Kuna with 51 PAPs, while Alkhahira has 27 PAPs. Analysis of PAPs shows that a total of 598 residential and permanent structures, covering approximately 13211.91 sq meters, and 662 units of permanent structures, as well as 61 trees, stand affecting about 556 project-affected persons were marked for demolition and compensation for resettlement. The study concluded that the implementation of a resettlement action plan based on global best practices, as seen in the case of the FCE(T) Gully control project, is the surest way of managing any foreseen risk and impact that may affect any property, reducing grievances that may arise from the project-affected communities, and improving their livelihood through various interventions recommended by the RAP.