KEY POINTS
- Oyo State has paid more than ₦5.35 billion to 578 property owners affected by the first segment of the Ibadan Circular Road.
- The beneficiaries include 378 Right of Way claimants and 200 claimants under the Omission category.
- Another 298 claimants are yet to appear for payment.
- The state government says 16 payments failed because of discrepancies in beneficiaries’ names and bank account details.
MAIN STORY
The Oyo State Government has paid more than ₦5.35 billion in compensation to 578 property owners affected by the first segment of the Ibadan Circular Road project.
The Executive Adviser on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr Suleimon Olanrewaju, on Sunday in Ibadan.
Adebiyi said the 32.2-kilometre segment runs from the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University axis along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, passes through Ona Ara and ends at Badeku Junction, which connects the road to the Ibadan-Ile-Ife Expressway in Egbeda Local Government Area.
She said 378 property owners under the Right of Way category and 200 under the Omission category had received payments after completing the screening process and signing Deeds of Indemnity.
THE ISSUES
According to Adebiyi, Gov. Seyi Makinde approved ₦3.86 billion for Right of Way claimants and ₦1.81 billion for those under the Omission category.
The government also reduced the project setback from 150 metres to 75 metres in built-up areas following appeals from residents.
The compensation exercise is still ongoing, with 263 Right of Way claimants and 35 Omission claimants yet to present themselves for payment.
Adebiyi said 16 payments had failed because of differences between beneficiaries’ names and their bank account details. She added that the government was working to resolve the discrepancies so the affected property owners could receive their money.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“He also reduced the setback from 150 metres to 75 metres in built-up areas following residents’ appeals.” – Mofoluke Adebiyi, Executive Adviser on New Towns and Cities.
Adebiyi assured residents that the compensation process was being handled transparently and fairly.
WHAT’S NEXT
The state government is expected to continue processing outstanding claims and resolving payment failures as the compensation exercise progresses.
The 298 claimants who have yet to appear will also need to complete the required process before their payments can be made.
BOTTOM LINE
Oyo has disbursed more than ₦5.35 billion to 578 property owners affected by the first phase of the Ibadan Circular Road. However, compensation remains incomplete, with hundreds of claimants yet to come forward and 16 payments awaiting resolution.
