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The Federal Government will pay another N7.13bn for compensation of property demolished for the construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Minister of Works, David Umahi, noted that N2.7 billion had been paid as compensation for the demolition of structures on the coastal highway before the approval of the N7.13 billon by the government.
Umahi said that demolition of shanties and other structures on the highway were still ongoing.
“As we are talking, the demolition of shanties and some infrastructure is ongoing. We pay compensation of about 2.7 billion. Between now and may be Monday, we will pay another compensation of about 7.13 billion.
“We are paying compensation not that everybody deserves it, but because it is also a way of helping people. When people build against the law, Mr. President is not the type that will punish people. The welfare of the people is what he signed first. So, it also away of helping even though we do encourage people not to build against the law,” he stated.
The Minister upbraided owner of Landmark property in Lagos and challenged him to publish the title documents on his properties for the public to see. He insisted that the man’s properties were not affected by the demolition of structures contrary to his claim
“The two properties of Landmark were totally saved, some meters away from our right of way. I have asked Landmark to publish his title documents. Till today, he has not published it. In fact, if I do one hundred meter corridor, the two buildings of Landmark would have gone.
“We did 30 meters corridor to save his property and he is not grateful because he is using it for politics. He said he has two million staff and if government were smart, they have to go and ask him for tax because if you are generating the number of billions he said he is generating, they have to check if he is paying tax and if he is not paying tax, then he has to either come and pay the balance of the tax or he will say look I lied,” Umahi said.
