The Oyo State Government says it has paid N5.35bn in compensation to 578 property owners affected by the first phase of the Ibadan Circular Road project.
The Executive Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the compensation exercise was still ongoing.
Adebiyi said the payments covered two categories of affected property owners: those whose properties fell within the project’s Right of Way and those whose structures were initially omitted during the enumeration exercise.
The first segment of the 32.2-kilometre road stretches from the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University axis along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Oluyole Local Government Area, passes through Ona Ara and terminates 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, 674 structures were initially identified.
Adebiyi explained that the state government had approved N3.86bn for compensation in the category, following Governor Makinde’s decision to reduce the initial 150-metre setback to 75 metres in densely populated areas after residents raised concerns.
She said 411 claimants had appeared before the screening committee, while 378 had completed the required documentation and received their payments.
For the omission category, a fresh enumeration exercise conducted by the Oyo State New Towns and Cities Development Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Surveyor-General, identified 251 affected structures.
According to Adebiyi, the governor approved N1.81bn for compensation under the category, with 216 property owners appearing before the screening committee.
She added that 200 claimants who fulfilled the necessary requirements had been cleared and paid a total of N1.49bn.
Giving further details, the governor’s aide said the government was working to ensure that all eligible property owners received their entitlements.
She noted that 263 claimants under the Right of Way category and 35 under the omission category were yet to appear before the screening committee.
Adebiyi also disclosed that 16 payment transactions were unsuccessful because of discrepancies between the names provided during screening and those on the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
She said efforts were being made to resolve the discrepancies and ensure that the affected claimants received their payments.
The governor’s aide maintained that the exercise had been conducted transparently and without preferential treatment.
She assured affected property owners that the government would continue to process legitimate claims, stressing that all payments would be subject to the stipulated screening and documentation procedures.
The state government said the compensation exercise was part of its commitment to ensuring that infrastructure development was accompanied by fairness and protection of residents’ interests.
