In order to pay the owners, the Federal Government has started the process of verifying the properties situated on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway right of way.
However, the federal government would take possession of any property located within 250 kilometers.
The 250 kilometers are federal property, according to Minister of Works Dave Umahi, and property owners won’t be compensated until President Bola Tinubu intervenes to relinquish their rights.
Shanty owners are another group of people who, according to him, stand to lose their belongings in the project. These may not have titles and are illegal structures on the right-of-way.
Speaking during the inauguration of a verification committee in Abuja, Umahi, said that the government would use the federal rate rather than the state rate to pay, adding that only those with verified titles would be paid.
He promised to pay the owners within 72 hours of their complete verification.
“We are setting up a review committee to look at the work done by the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the work to be reviewed by this committee is very simple. It’s just to interact with the property owners that are going to be affected and look at the compensation as enumerated. We are using a federal rate. I know that there’s nobody that will ever be satisfied but we are bound by law. So, we are using federal rate and federal rate is higher than Lagos rate.
“The moment the verification is done, we authorise payment. The contractor is going to pay directly to all those who are affected. This verification will start on Wednesday in Lagos. The committee is just to verify the authenticity of those we are going to pay compensation to and verify the dimensions. But where there’s a title problem, it will need a presidential waiver for such to be paid.
“Only those with approved titles will be paid. The owners will be sure that within 72 hours they would be paid. They have to make it clear that 250 kilometers belong to the federal government. So, if you have a title within the 250 kilometers only the President will give a waiver.
“I will work within the confines of the law. We have not more than 10 days to have this done. Mrs Keisha will head the committee. This committee is just to verify the authenticity of those we are going to pay compensation,” he said.