The commencement of construction for the city's newest abattoir, which is expected to cost two billion Birr, has been rescheduled for three years from now, as residents and farmers living on the designated development land in Nifas Silk Laphto District have refused to be relocated.

The 20ha of land was secured from the City's Land Management Office in 2016 by the Addis Abeba Abattoirs Enterprise. The new state-of-the-art abattoir, originally scheduled to begin construction by the end of this fiscal year near Hana Mariam Church, is part of a plan to replace the existing abattoir in Qera.

Two years ago the city's land management office allocated 100ha of land in Nifas Silk District for redevelopment purpose, of which 20ha was granted for the Enterprise as a slaughterhouse with a capacity of processing 14,000 animals a day.

The city identified 177 households and 52 farmsteads living on the designated redevelopment land who were offered compensation and replacement land, according to the City's land management office. All 52 farmsteads are located on the 20ha allocated for the Enterprise.

The Enterprise, which secured financing for the project from the French Development Agency, has already hired a consortium of consultants and was in the process of hiring a construction contractor. Meanwhile, the residents and 52 farmers on the redevelopment land refused to be relocated, claiming that the compensation they were offered was too low.

"We sent a letter to the city land management office repeatedly asking them to handle the relocation issues," said Nibret Beka, managing director of the Enterprise.

Atomessa Gemechu, a father of three, is one of the farmers who refused to relocate from the area.

In June 2016, the officials of the city land management office informed the farmers to relocate and offered compensation of 82 Br a square meter, according to Atomessa.

"The compensation is too low, and we will be relocating to a remote area that does not have adequate infrastructure," he said.

Yirga Workneh, director of compensation and rehabilitation at the city's land management office, begs to differ, saying that the compensation the city administration offered the farmers was fair.