Chief Habakuku S. Gozkwo, Sarkin Galadima

Chief may I know your name?
My names are Habakuku S. Gozkwo Sarkin Galadima

I have been hearing people calling chief of Galadima, what is the different between Chief and Emire?
There is different between the two we have a first class Chief as the Emire then we have second class Chief and also third class Chief, this categories fall under Emire. Secondly we have Mai-augwa, Mekafi and Village Chief which appear as another different category.

Are they different from Chief?
Though they are may call them chief but in the classes issue they are paramount chief, they can call paramount or Emire.

What are the criteria of Chief in Galadima, is it by appointment, from one family to another or is it rotational?
The criteria for one to become a Chief in my Community, the person should be a family must be a full member of family not only a family but should be a royal family. We cannot appointed as a chief also to become a Chief one must be screen in the area of character and conduct, if the person have a conscionable character he may not be given such appointment because you are coming to led the people and the people hope will rely on you.

How long have you been in this position and how are you enjoying the sit?
Well I have to appreciate God in the first place when I was informed on this sit, that was 13th November 2003 and I want to confess that since then I actually thank God , He has been helping me. I have not been encountering anything bad. In fact God has been helping me and in terms of my people i enjoyed them there is peace in the domains there is no problem.

Since you have been chief o Galadima what are your challenges from the indigene and people living in your village?
Normally if you are dealing with human beings we have individual differences, there is no how that when you are ruling the people or when you are trying to assist the people, definitely there must be challenges. Actually I want to say that in my own side God has been helping me, despite the people am dealing with. I don't have problem with them and they also don't have problem with me. The indigenes they are my people that is to say that they are the indigenous members of the community. We are one in all our doing, we do everything all in common, there is understanding, there is peace in the village likewise other tribes there is good communication with them.

Looking around I discovered some basic amenities such as electricity, water supply, did Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) assists in this?
Well, thank you for that question the issue of some of this provision in the community or let me say essential amenities, I want to start by saying that (AMAC) was able to provide a borehole to the community and we have been enjoying the services of the water as of now. Likewise we have some good individuals who also have been assisted the community in the area of borehole.
As the Chief of Galadima speaking on behalf of my people I have a borehole in my house and normally like to give out water to my people both the indigene and non-indigene and even right now there is another one that I am trying to install by my own effort. Because I believe that water is life without water human beings cannot survive and I also believe that whoever that renders assistance to the community by given water there is reward attached to it.

Do you have any impact to play in the issues of landlord and his tenant constraints, if the problem gets to you?
Sometimes if landlord and tenant have any misunderstanding then the landlord may report the case to me being the head of the community and if such complain brought before me. I make sure that I advice the landlord with the tenant because if you are a tenant in the landlord house it is your responsibility to pay when your rent is due. Sometimes tenants, some of them are very stubborn in terms of paying their house rent. I offered time and give them a good advice, counsel then to know the importance of a house. In other words there are three things very important in lives which are shelter, food and cloth they are more important.
If you are staying in a house and you cannot pay to the landlord, it is a problem but note that shelter is very important. Therefore it is the duty of that tenant to pay his or her rent as at when due. Sometimes some landlords are very harsh in the scene that tenant may complain that he don't have the money as the given period. Some landlord may not even have an ear to listen and even to talk of having mercy on a tenant. It is very good I advice them in the sense that a landlord must work together with the tenant also, it is important that a landlord must listen to the tenant because sometime we are in the world, we face challenges, may be the tenant does not have the money to pay as at that time due to one reason or the other.
In this case if the tenant approach the landlord normal it is the duty of the landlord to also look into the request and consider the tenant it may be by given more period of time to come and redeem the rent.
This is the area I use to advice them but if the two parties cannot understand each other that means it became too difficult where I can decide to refer them to the appropriate authority for further action.

Again what will be your response if the problem is not from the tenant on issue rent but in the area of electricity bill and toilet issue?
You see under normal circumstances if a landlord has a building it is also his duty to provide those things to ensure that the house has adequate provision for toilet and electricity. Sometimes if the essential amenities are problem, it leads to excessive problem. In this case i normally advice the landlords when building a house to put all this requirement in other, that when all this is put in plase such problems would not occur. Nevertheless it is the duty of the landlord to provide meter in the building but it is not his duty to pay for the light consumed by tenants. The NEPA bill is paid by the tenant according to the utilization.
The issue of toilet when fault discovered it is also the duty of the landlord to put it in other so that his tenants who are occupying the house will also enjoy their money.
Sometimes if such issues arose I also use the opportunity to advice them that it is better for a landlord to make sure that everything necessary the tenant in other to avoid any complicated issues.

In February 2010 the Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development, Director and staff of Federal Housing Authority (FHA )inspects Gwarimpa Estate where the Minister disclosed that very soon people living in the villages would be relocate, Are you aware of the re-location?
Well, the issue of re-location I can say that it is very difficult issue for this community, as Abuja has come to exist and before the development of Abuja the values of the indigenous community has been in existence, am still saying is very unfair for Federal Government to approach us with issue of re-location or resettlement.
In fact it is not to our favour because in this Gwarimpa Estate we have about five communities in the Estate which includes: Kado, Gwarimpa, Galadima, Lungu and Kuchibena. These communities has been in existence before the development, therefore the policy of Government to resettle this community, it is not at our favour.
The most important thing is that this is where we are born at the same time we don't have another area we are hoping of may be re-locating the entire community outside present environment .in fact it will affect us seriously and it will even make us to have proper history at the same time it will affect us psychologically, it will also affect our economic which on the other hand even affect our children in future.

What is your appeal to the Government in the issues of resettling the Gwaladima Community, which you have already narrated that it is not for the community favour?
I am appealing to the Government that it is better for this community to remain where they are, if anything should be done in this community, for instance some of the structures position are not good, why not Government to come at least put a standard structures instead of mentioning resettlement. Because if we are to be re-located is still the same human beings like us that will come and settle there again.
Why not Government to do something by putting grade on the infrastructures in order to make life more better for the people rather than saying that the indigenes should go entirely. In addition we have been here for so many years ago, why must our right be deprive from us? Where we have the right to live in, we have the right to enjoy our living as Nigeria, and we are the same citizens. This community loves our country we are not from other country this is the country we all belong to, so we remain where we are. The Government should stop talking about re-location because it is not to our favour at all.

In a situation whereby Government should provide the entire social amenities all the infrastructure needed such as houses, roads, electricity, water supply, school, land for agricultural purposes and other essential things that can make life favorable to human beings. What will be your response?
The issue of providing another environment with infrastructures where Government feels we can stay and enjoy. Well, to me it is not to our favour, Government should do something by providing all the essential amenities to for us so that the entire environment will be befitting with the Gwarimpa Estate. It would be of good advantage than to say that we are to be re-located to another environment where the environment will be strange because we are not use to the area.
Again in our environment our ancestors, our forefathers their grave are here with us and every tribe have their own traditions and culture. It is not good for a Gbagi man to leave his forefather's home and go to another place. Spiritually, physically and otherwise it will affects us, God have created the world placed human beings where they are today. I want to say that we should remain where God has placed us.
Finally, supposing that road network should pass through where there is community structure automatically something must be done to it, one need not to talk about it, in this case Government can make what is called resettlement by one side of the same community but not to leave our village.