Oyo govt begins re-verification exercise for 3,000 property owners in Ibadan

…cracks down on illegal street trading

Oyo State Government has begun the re-verification exercise for property owners and claimants affected by the acquisition of lands on the first Segment of the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, covering Alago to Ajota areas of Ibadan, the State Capital.

The re-verification exercise, which started on Sunday and expected to continue until next Saturday at the Islamic High School, Basorun, Ibadan, was aimed at capturing about 3,000 property owners and claimants affected on the axis as Sunday Odukoya, Chairman of the Monitoring Team on the payment of compensation, assured the affected owners and claimants that Government would ensure that compensations are paid to the rightful property owners and claimants.

Odukoya, a retired Commissioner of Police, who addressed the affected property owners and claimants from Alago to Ajota area, said Governor Seyi Makinde desired that the exercise was carried out promptly so that property owners coukd get compensations on time, adding that the governor did not want claimants to suffer or wait unduly to get their due compensations.

He said: “The governor gave us an instruction that we should listen to these people and see how we can help them do the capturing so that their compensation can be quickly paid. This is a way of averting them going into pains and agony. That is why we are starting the verification quickly.

“As you would have noticed, today is Sunday and we had to abandon all we needed to do to make sure that these property owners don’t suffer pains. That is why we are here.

“We have divided them into two groups and in each room, we have nine members of our team, who are listening to them and collating their documents to ascertain the genuineness.

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“The documents required are NIN, documents relating to their lands for those that have clubs and those that have buildings. They should also have receipts of purchase, survey documents and any other document to back up the claims that they own the land.
“I notice that the number we are expecting is not what we are seeing here. The turnout is poor. But we will not leave here on time, because some of them here may go and tell other people affected that the verification exercise is a reality.

“We are going to conclude this exercise on Saturday and it is going to be every day until then. His Excellency has given his directive that we should do it quickly to make sure that their money is paid.”

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has launched a series of raids against illegal street traders within Ibadan metropolis.

Adekoya Adesagba, retired Army Major and Chairman of the Agency, said the operations spanned a day and targeted at Oritamerin, Gege, Agbeni and Ogunpa areas of Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.

According to Adesagba, who was accompanied by the General Manager, Commander Ayoade Adekola, the move aims to tackle the issues of blocked roads and slow traffic regulation in the area.

He said the areas had been converted into makeshift markets, leading to severe traffic congestion and environmental pollution, explaining that the activities violate environmental laws, contributing to indiscriminate waste disposal and drainage systems, thereby worsening flooding in parts of the city.

The chairman expressed disappointment at the marketers’ failure to comply with government regulations, seizing their market stalls and imposing fines on those caught.

Additionally 12 individuals operating an illegal motor park in the market were also apprenended, with fines imposed on the offenders, just as he warned marketers to desist from selling on the roads, emphasizing that the government’s efforts are geared towards ensuring their safety and protecting their property.