The Federal Government has inaugurated a committee to review, evaluate and pay compensation on property to be affected by the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road.
David-Umahi, the minister of works, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja, said the move aligns with the principle of transparency which, according to him, is a priority for the President Bola Tinubu administration.
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The committee, the minister said, was expected to interact with the affected property owners to determine the accurate compensation to be paid using federal rates for the enumeration.
“I know there is nobody that you enumerate that will ever be satisfied with how much is to be paid. However, we are bound by the law, so we are using the federal rate which is a lot higher than Lagos rate in paying compensation.
“We adopted the federal rate since we are the ones paying. So, only those that have proven titles would be paid as they are brought to us in the ministry, although it will still undergo some processes from us.
“We have to make it very clear that 250 metres of the road legally belongs to the Federal Government.
“So, if you have a title within these 250 metres and it is not a title from the Federal Government, then it is incumbent, and only the president will give a waiver if he so feels for payment. I will work within the confines of the law.
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“We are committed to doing this; so the verification will start latest by Wednesday in Lagos,” he said.
