The Lagos State Government has so far paid N3.65bn as compensation to individuals whose properties were acquired for various public projects from 2010 till now.

The Director, Land Services, Lands Bureau, Mr. Babatunde Oyegbola, disclosed on this on Wednesday during an interview with our correspondent.

He said, “In 2010, part payment of about N1.051bn was made to 31 claimants, whose properties were taken over to pave the way for the construction of the Orile-Badagry Expressway, while N31.5m was paid to eight claimants who lost their properties to the Itire-Okota Link Bridge and road. Another N395m was paid to a large number of owners of farmlands acquired for the Lagos Free Trade Zone project.

“Also, between January and October, 2011, N83.93m was approved to be paid in a few weeks to the remaining one claimant on some of the properties taken for the Orile-Badagry Expressway, while N480m has been paid to those who lost their properties to the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge. N1.6bn has already been approved as compensation debt that arose as a result of a Supreme Court judgment in favour of people whose lands were taken by the government to build industrial and residential schemes in Amuwo Odofin, Surulere, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Iganmu.”

According to him, about N83m has also been approved to be paid as compensation on properties acquired by the government to construct the Isiwu Green Gate Scheme, Ikorodu, any time from now.

The director explained that the government usually acquire properties owned by individuals and/or communities to enable it execute public development projects, saying that adequate provisions were usually made in the yearly budgets of the government for payment of compensation to the property owners.

Oyegbola said, “For instance, the government budgeted about N1.5bn in 2010 and N3.5bn in 2011, out of which it paid about N1.4bn in 2010 and N2.25bn from January to October 2011.”

According to him, before any property is acquired, the bureau would undertake a site visit to ascertain those that will be affected and do the survey to describe the area.

He said that information about the properties would then be transferred to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to estimate the value before revocation notice would be sent to the governor for approval.

He further explained that immediately such a proposal was approved by the governor, the reserve notices and publications would be made and the owners would be advised to vacate the properties within seven days from the day of notice.

According to the former Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Building, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, the issue of compensation for acquired properties needs to be properly managed by the government.

The Immediate Chairman, Lagos State chapter, Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, said the issue of compensation needed to be properly managed by the government.

He added that the compensation should not be done with the attitude of survival of fittest, which would in turn make people feel cheated.

Awobodu said, “People should not be given a short period to vacate their properties and they will now be driven away without making necessary provision for them; and without giving them their compensations immediately to help them find alternatives.

“Citizens should not also take government’s instructions with levity.”

He urged the government not send people away from their properties only to misuse them (properties) in future because the people will not like it.

“It’s not easy for people to adapt to change; they leave their property reluctantly and they also want to know what is being done on the properties,” Awobodu said.

Source: Punch/Ronke Badmus