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, as the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde intensifies efforts to address concerns over properties acquired for the infrastructure development.
The payments cover property owners under the Right of Way (RoW) and Omission categories, with the government assuring other eligible claimants that the compensation exercise remains ongoing.
The Executive Adviser to the Governor on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, disclosed this while providing an update on the compensation process, describing the payments as significant progress in the implementation of the project.
The first segment of the Circular Road stretches 32.2 kilometres, beginning from the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University axis along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Oluyole Local Government Area, passing through Ona Ara Local Government Area and terminating at Badeku Junction on the Ibadan-Ife Expressway in Egbeda Local Government Area.
Under the Right of Way category, which covers properties within 75 metres on either side of the road median, the government initially identified 674 structures for compensation.
However, following appeals and concerns raised by residents in the affected communities, Makinde approved a reduction of the initial 150-metre setback to 75 metres in clustered and built-up areas.
The governor subsequently approved ₦3.86 billion as compensation for affected property owners under the category.
Adebiyi disclosed that 411 claimants had appeared before the Screening Committee, while 378 had completed the required process, executed their Deeds of Indemnity, obtained clearance and received their payments.
The Omission category, on the other hand, covers property owners who claimed that their buildings or structures were affected by the project but were not captured during the initial enumeration exercise.
To address their complaints, the Oyo State New Towns and Cities Development Authority (OYNTCDA), working with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Surveyor-General, conducted a fresh enumeration exercise, which identified 251 affected structures.
Following the exercise, the government approved ₦1.81 billion to compensate property owners in the category.
According to Adebiyi, 216 property owners had appeared before the Monitoring Team on Payment of Compensation Screening Committee, while 200 claimants who fulfilled the documentation requirements and executed their Deeds of Indemnity had been cleared and paid a total of ₦1.49 billion.
In all, the government said 578 property owners across the two categories had received compensation, bringing the total disbursement to more than ₦5.35 billion.
Despite the progress recorded, Adebiyi explained that some claimants were yet to complete the screening and documentation processes required to qualify for payment.
She disclosed that 263 claimants under the Right of Way category and 35 under the Omission category had yet to appear before the Screening Committee.
She added that some other claimants were still expected to fulfil the necessary documentation requirements before they could receive final clearance.
On payment challenges, the governor’s aide revealed that only 16 transactions had failed because of discrepancies between the names supplied by claimants during screening and the account details provided for payment.
She said efforts were ongoing to resolve the discrepancies and ensure that the affected claimants received their entitlements.
Adebiyi maintained that the compensation exercise had been conducted transparently and without favouritism, assuring property owners that the government would continue to observe due process in the disbursement of funds.
The state government, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, reaffirmed its commitment to delivering major infrastructure projects while protecting the interests of residents whose properties were affected.
It maintained that the compensation payments reflected the administration’s determination to ensure that infrastructure development went hand in hand with fairness, accountability and responsible governance.
