Property owners along the Lagos-Calabar Highway have rejected the Federal Government’s compensation offer, calling it far below the true value of their properties.
In an exclusive interview, Emeka Mewu, a retired banker, expressed his dissatisfaction with the offer. “My property, including land and four bungalows, was valued at over N400m, but I was offered just N3.3m. The land itself is of high value, and I had to sell two properties to acquire it,” he said. Mewu also noted that the Lagos State Government had allowed development on the land, which wasn’t part of the gazetted alignment for the road.
Similarly, Paul Osemele, another affected property owner, rejected an offer of N42m for his property valued at nearly N1 billion. “They demolished my twin duplex, which had been converted into 16 apartments. The offer is grossly inadequate,” he said.
Sola Enitan, leader of a coalition of property owners contesting their compensation, emphasized the discrepancy between the government’s offer and global best practices for road projects. “For a project like this, global standards would require compensation of at least N2-3 trillion,” he argued. Enitan also pointed out that despite repeated attempts, the Minister of Works had failed to attend a House of Representatives hearing on the issue.
Another anonymous property owner revealed that the offer made was just 3% of the assessed value of his property. He added, “The government wanted me to sign an indemnity, stating they had paid me in full, but I refused. Now, they’ve stopped paying.”
Several other property owners voiced their frustration with the government’s compensation process, including Cajetan Onu, President of Total Energies Staff Cooperative, who stated that the compensation for his company’s clubhouse development was inadequate considering the investment made.
One property owner, Olanrewaju Ojo, who received just N1.3 million, said, “This is ridiculous. I can make this amount in one week.”
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, had earlier stated that the compensation budget for Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project had increased from N8 billion to N18 billion, with 50% of payments already disbursed. Umahi pledged that all affected individuals would receive full compensation within 10 days.
Despite these assurances, many property owners remain dissatisfied, with some seeking legal redress.
