Many owners of buildings marked for demolition for the expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway into a 10-lane dual carriageway may get no compensation after all, as there are indications that most affected structures are standing on government acquired land.
Over 3,000 structures affected by the project were said to be on the Right of Way of the road network, stretching from Eric Moore in Surulere to Badagry.
The 60.3 kilometre road would incorporate light rail and Bus Rapid Transit facilities.
The buildings, which are on both sides of the road include residences, churches, banks, filling stations, luxury bus terminals, shopping complexes, gates of the Ojo Military Cantonment, offices and shops.
The state government, which gave the Right of Way as 120 metres, had last year assured of adequate compensation and resettlement for owners with genuine documents and approved building plans.
But fresh facts emerging from the state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday indicated that few people had applied to the state government for compensation.
Although, a source told our correspondent on Monday that the verification was still being done on the claims, he said it was difficult to confirm if any of those concluded had any genuine claims for compensation.
Many of the residents and workers in the area who spoke with our correspondent said they were already making arrangement to relocate to other places.
They also said that some landlords were reluctant to approach the government for compensation because they knew it would amount to nothing.
The Lagos State Chairman, Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, Mr. Udoghoreyon Edema, who owns a building in the area as well as maintains an office at Agboju Bus Stop said, “How many people have Certificates of Occupancy? The people already know that they had all constructed buildings on the road setback.”
He lamented the daily traffic congestion being on the road, and welcomed the move to expand it.
In a newspaper advertisement in December last year, signed by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisco Abosede, the government said it had given all affected property owners nine days to move out of the 120 metres Right of Way.
It specifically requested those affected to forward to Alausa their certified registered title documents of the properties within the Right of Way; approved building plans with certified registered titles and any other documents that might be relevant.
The state government insisted that the documents must get to the commissioner’s office not later than December 10, 2008.
The commissioner also confirmed through a text message to our correspondent on Monday that the public acquisition notice would soon be published “for the acquisition of the Right of Way.