Lagos-Calabar Road Project: Property owners kick over compensation procedure

Property owners within and around the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project have decried inadequate compensation payments, stating that “What we got as compensation is a far cry from the value of our properties.”

Some of the property owners also mentioned that the authorities warned them against speaking to the media about compensation payments, stating that any such disclosure would not result in compensation.

Commenting on the situation, a property owner, Mr. Adii Mba, said his property was grossly undervalued. He added that he is still studying the situation before deciding on the next step. Mba confirmed that some property owners received compensation well below the value of their properties.

Another property owner, Mrs. Ijeoma Ezekwe, who owns Doodles Play Center, stated that her business is worth N300 million, but she received less than 15 percent of the value of her property and business combined. Ijeoma also mentioned that she now has to pay her workers until she figures out where and how to rebuild her business.

“We complied with the directive since the coastal road is for the benefit of all and never resisted or protested. We saved the government time and money.

It is a slap to hardworking Nigerian youths who have created employment,” she said.

“We only opened for business sometime in February, that is about three months ago, and the government just came and demolished my business before it even started.”

Other property owners who spoke anonymously to newsmen said that the compensation they received cannot even cover the foundation of their properties.

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They believe that the government will only end up creating more hardship for business owners in that area.

One of the property owners stated, “For instance, a property that was valued at N300 million got a paltry sum of N39 million, while another property owner whose property was valued at N10 million got over N30 million as compensation. They know what they are doing.

At a point, they held discussions with the owners of Landmark, showed them the value they buy kept our own value and refused to show us the value of our properties.

Only for them to pay whatever they calculated as the value of our properties. Corruption has crept into the payment of compensation for property owners on the Coastal road project, and we are going to protest.”

Another property owner, who refused to mention her name, said she had to refund N11 million for rental and party services. She added that many Nigerians working around the affected parts of the Coastal highway would lose their jobs.

“Already, some of the affected property owners are taking all kinds of medications to absorb the shock of the demolition of their properties and the disruption of their businesses. One property owner, it was gathered, is suffering a stroke as a result of the development,” the property owner lamented.

Efforts to reach the Federal Controller of Works, Engr (Mrs) Olukorede Kesha, for comments were futile as calls to her phone number went unanswered.