For the umpteenth time, stakeholders comprising property owners along the right-of-way of the 700 kilometers Lagos -Calabar Coastal Road project are calling for the adjustment of alignment to salvage property and local communities.
Property owners made the appeal to the Federal and Lagos authorities to consider rerouting the project’s alignment to save their property worth over N35billion from demolition.
Should demolition of buildings be the only option left, they urged the Federal and Lagos governments to consider paying them compensation before the exercise.
The affected property are located in OrileIlasan, lroko-Awe Community Development Areas, and Oba Elegushi Royal Estate, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the additional seven-day ultimatum issued by the Federal Government to affected property owners will expire this Friday.
The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, had announced the extension of ultimatum at a Stakeholders Engagement held last Thursday in Victoria Island, Lagos
Umahi also promised that compensation will be paid within 30 days timeline to be decided by an expansive committee of the stakeholders comprising political class, traditional rulers, women and other categories of affected property owners.
The minister stressed that magnanimity will be considered for incomplete title holders but no compensation for occupants of shanties.
The Federal Executive Council had recently approved a N1.06 trillion contract for the construction of the first phase of 700km coastal road project, which will cover Lagos, Calabar and other states of the country.
In a letter by their lawyer, B. Chinedu Moore & Associates, to the Federal and Lagos state governments, the 50 property owners are demanding a revert to the initial position of the coastal road project.
Specifically, they asked the government to shift the coastal road project from their locations back to the regional plan as much as possible.
They fingered a deviation from the initial position of the coastal road, saying this has affected them.
“There is ample undeveloped expanse of land space to accommodate the realignment or re-routing being sought. In the alternative, the span of the highway on these sections could be reduced from the proposed 120 metres to about 60 meters as is being done at the Victoria Island and Oniru sections thereof without negatively impacting on the overall objective, purpose and use of the highway.
If the government can’t shift it to original location, it should reduce the span so that up to IbejuLekki where there is less development, they can now increase it, “ they said.
According to them, another option the government can explore to save the property owners from impending doom of homelessness is to pay the homeowners compensation before coming to demolish their property.
“The property owners have forwarded their documents to the authorities. The entire place is covered by the Certificate of Occupance (C-of-O) granted to the Elegushi Royal family, “ they said.
In the letter entitled: “Re: Construction of the Lagos -Calabar Coastal Highway- a letter of humble appeal for a re-alignment or re-route of the highway at the Orile-Ilasan, Iroko Awe communities
(CDA’s) and Oba Elegushi Royal Estate sections of the highway in Eti-Osa local government area of Lagos state”, the affected communities and estate explained that they are within the layout granted by Lagos state government to the Elegushi Royal Family of Ikate land of Lagos State wide Certificate of Occupancy dated 161 Apri 1999 and Registered as No. seven at page seven in volume 1999 (Tourism) of the land Registry, Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.
The letter reads: “Our clients are poised to be very adversely affected by the ongoing stage 1 construction of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway being undertaken by the Federal Government in conjunction with Lagos State Government.
This was caused by a surprising shift or diversion of the proposed highway away from the coastline (as earlier designed) into our clients’ well-developed communities such that more than 50 well-built houses worth over N35 billion are totally affected, aside many others that are partially affected. These houses have been marked and removal notices served on them by Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and infrastructure Development with threat of imminent demolition.”
The homeowners emphasised that there is sufficient undeveloped expanse of land space between their communities and estate, and the coastline (beach) to accommodate a re-alignment or a reroute of the highway to save them from palpable agony of emotional and psychological trauma, mental frustration, financial and physical dislocation, and imminent homelessness.
“We have attached to this letter copies of the removal notices issued to some of our clients/properties by the Ministry of Physical Planning, and appeal for the immediate intervention of Your Excellency in this matter in the best interest of your people and in line with the promise of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria that properties shall not be demolished for purposes of the highway wherever it is possible not to do so.
They advised that a realignment of the highway towards the beach will save the project the huge cost of compensation payment if otherwise, adding that the highway could equally be reduced within the axis without impacting negatively on the overall purpose and objective of the road infrastructure.
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