Nigeria’s Federal Government has said it will pay N2.75 billion ($2m) in compensation to property owners affected by the necessary demolition to construct the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from channel 0 to channel 3.
Minister of Works, David Umahi disclosed this while meeting with stakeholders in Lagos, and added that those affected will begin to receive payment from Wednesday.
Landmark Has No Claim to Shoreline
The Minister also insisted that Landmark Properties, the largest property owners around the area marked for demolition, had no claim to the shoreline. He stressed that the company was “playing politics with politicians” and had “nothing to claim”.
While admitting that Landmark may have sublet the area by the shoreline to other entities, it never possessed ownership of the area. Therefore, those who are occupying it, are doing so illegally.
He challenged the company to present any documents vesting it with ownership of the area, emphasising that none of the company’s legitimate properties would be affected by the exercise.
While expecting a blow-back, Umahi said he believed the government was doing the right thing in the interest of Nigerians.
“I assure Nigerians that this route is for the best interests of Nigeria. And it will have along the corridor a lot of land for tourism we are talking about, for estate development, for industries”, he said.
