Property owners along the Lagos-Calabar highway have rejected the Federal Government’s N18 billion compensation package, calling it insufficient compared to the actual value of their affected properties.
The government had earmarked the sum for properties impacted by the ongoing highway expansion, but several owners have voiced concerns that the compensation offers are grossly inadequate.
Emeka Mewu, a retired banker whose property was valued at over N400 million, told The PUNCH that he was offered just N3.3 million for his four bungalows and land.
“The land itself was incredibly expensive, and I had to sell other properties just to acquire it,” Mewu said, stressing that the land was not part of any gazetted alignment for the project.
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Similarly, Paul Osemele, another property owner, rejected an offer of N42 million for his property, which he had valued at N978 million. “They demolished a twin duplex with 16 apartments and a penthouse. It’s hard to accept such an offer when the value is almost a billion naira,” Osemele stated.
Sola Enitan, a leader of the affected property owners’ coalition, added that many of the owners, including Osemele, were generating significant annual income from their properties, with some receiving only a fraction of what their properties were worth.
“The compensation figures are far below global standards. We would have gone to court, but we are still in discussions with the House of Representatives. The Minister of Works failed to attend hearings twice,” Enitan remarked.
Other property owners, including one who wished to remain anonymous, expressed frustration over offers that amounted to a small percentage of their properties’ assessed value.
One individual was offered only about 3% of their property’s worth, while another reported receiving N18 million for a property valued at over N630 million.
Cajetan Onu, President of the Total Energies Staff Cooperative Society, also spoke out, criticizing the government for undervaluing his property. He requested more time to recover valuable equipment from the affected site and called for a fairer compensation process.
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The Federal Government, through Works Minister David Umahi, had earlier stated that the compensation budget for section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar road project had increased from N8 billion to N18 billion, with 50% of the payments already made. Umahi assured that all compensation payments for affected property owners would be completed within 10 days.
Despite these promises, the continued dissatisfaction among property owners raises questions about the adequacy of the compensation process and whether it aligns with fair valuation practices. Many owners remain determined to seek redress, with ongoing discussions in the National Assembly and possible legal action on the horizon.
