- Alleged authorities of corruption, threaten protests
By Steve Agbota
Property owners within and around the proposed Coastal Road project have lamented deficient compensation payments from authorities over the demolition of their properties and investments.
The property owners decried that what they got as compensation is a far cry from the value of their properties being destroyed and demolished.
Some of the property owners also said that the authorities have also warned them against talking to the media about payment of compensation as any such exposition will not get compensated.
Daily Sun learnt that the few property owners who got compensation got monies far below the real value of their properties and investments
Some of them who spoke to the media anonymously said that what they have cannot do the foundation of their properties and that the government will only end up creating more hardship for business owners on that axis.
For instance, a property that was valued at N300 million got a paltry sum of N39 million while another property owner whose property was valued at N10 million got over N30 million as compensation.
One of the property owners said: “They know what they are doing, at a point, they held a discussion with the owners of Landmark, showed them the value they buy, kept our own value and refused to show us the value of our properties. Only to pay whatever they calculated as the value of our properties.
“Corruption has crept into the payment of compensation for property owners on the Coastal road project and we are going to protest.”
Commenting on the development, a property owner, Mr. Adii Mba said his property was grossly undervalued, adding that he is still studying the situation before he takes the next step.
Mba confirmed the fact that some property owners got more compensation far below the value of their properties.
A property owner, who refused to mention her name said she had to refund N11million for rental and party services, adding that a lot of Nigerians working around affected parts of the Coastal highway will definitely lose their jobs.
Already, some of the affected property owners are taking all kinds of medications so as to be able to absorb the shock of the demolition of their properties and the disruption of their businesses.
One property owner, it was gathered is suffering a stroke as a result of the development.
Efforts to reach the Federal Controller of Works, Engr (Mrs) Olukorede Kesha, for comments were futile as calls to her phone number were not answered.
Mrs Ijeoma Ezekwe, owner of Doodles Play Center said her business is worth N300 million and she got less than 15 per cent of the value of her property and business when combined.
Ijeoma also said with the current development, she has to pay off her workers until she gets a clear picture of where and how to rebuild her business.
She said: “We complied with the directive since the coastal road is for the benefit of all and never resisted or protested, we saved the government time and money. It is a slap to hardworking Nigerian youths who have created employment.
“We only opened for business sometime in February, that is about three months ago and the government just came and my business before it even started.”
Another property owner, who also spoke to Newsmen on the condition of anonymity said that his property was valued at N10 million but got a N1.3 million worth of compensation.
The property owner also said he does not know how the government arrived at the amount paid to people whose properties were valued at hundreds of millions and got next to nothing as compensation.