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Lagos pays N1.6bn compensation to land owners

By on May 10, 2014

The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said it paid N1.63bn as compensation in the past one year to people whose land was acquired for infrastructural projects.

The Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing in commemoration of the seventh year anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Muri-Okunola stated that payments were made to those affected by projects such as the Itire/Okota Link Bridge and road works and Agbowa housing scheme, among others.

According to him, the state government is also working on compensating those that will be affected by the proposed Lekki/Epe airport.

He said, “During the year under review, the Lagos State Government paid the sum of N1,633,214,776 as compensation to those whose lands were revoked for over-riding public interest.

“Compensation will also be paid to those affected by the Lekki/Epe airport project; Toga Zamu community, Badagry; establishment of forensic laboratory at Gayinbo, Badagry;Lekki Free Trade Zone ‘Parcel B’, Epe; and the relocation of Tejuosho plantain sellers.”

Muri-Okunola also said that in line with the Lagos mega city project, the New Towns Development Authority had been actively occupied in sourcing new schemes in five divisions of the state, adding that the project entailed solving the problems related to clustered settlements in urban cities by developing structured settlements across the state.

“The state government, being conscious of its limited land mass, has discerned ways to restructure the density of the existing settlements, with emphasis on even development across the state and better utilisation of land as part of efforts to reduce completely the number of inadequately planned settlements,” he said.

On land grabbing in the state, the permanent secretary said a bill seeking to prosecute and punish any person or community that illegally sold government land was currently before the state House of Assembly and would soon be passed into law.

He added that members of the public should be wary of fraudulent acts by individuals, families and communities that engaged in indiscriminate sale of government acquired land.

[Punch]