2 weeks ago
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The Coalition for Land Rights Advocacy in Nigeria is set to sue the Federal Government over alleged unfair payment in compensation.
In an exclusive interview with the Coalition Head, Sola Enitan, he said if the Minister of Works, David Umahi, does not yield to the demands of the group, the coalition would head to court.
He said, “If the Minister of Works does not yield to our demands, it goes without saying that we would be going to court. The coalition would be going to court on behalf of the Project-affected persons as they have already briefed us to represent their interests.
“It should be noted that the reason why we have not gone to court is because we want to exhaust the three summonses and then we would see what the house of assembly would do, upon the third summon if the minister does not respond, a resolution would be done showing what the parliament wants to do.
“After the resolution phase is exhausted and the minister does not still comply, we would head to court. Unless the President compels the minister and he does the right thing, there would be no need to go to court, but if he does not do the right thing, then there would need to go to court.”
He noted that the road project, purportedly presented to be in the public interest, has forcibly displaced numerous Nigerians, robbing them of their lands, homes, and livelihoods without compliance with the payment of just, fair, reasonable, and adequate compensation as enshrined in our laws.
He added, “Despite exhaustive attempts to address these issues of injustices, the government, through its agents, has shown a pattern of coercion and disregard for constitutional and legal rights.
“In the last eight months, over 65 correspondences have been sent by professional representatives of the project-affected persons to the Minister of Works, each highlighting the inadequacies and injustices within the current compensation framework. Despite these numerous communications, the minister has refused to provide a single response, not even from the legal directorate of the ministry.
“Instead, he continued to organise politically tainted stakeholder meetings where project-affected persons are subjected to bullying, shaming, and harassment by the minister, his agents, and security personnel. Many of these events have been recorded and are widely accessible on social media, underscoring the extent of hostility faced by these affected individuals under the ministerial oversight of Senator David Umahi.”
The Coalition head noted that under Sections 29 and 30 of the Land Use Act of 1978, the Land Use and Allocations Committee is mandated to intervene in compensation disputes, providing a platform for arbitral intervention.
He lamented, “Yet, the Minister of Works has continuously evaded this statutory requirement, disregarding opportunities for fair dialogue and preferring to coerce, intimidate, and harass Project-Affected Persons into accepting unconscionable, unfair, and inadequate compensation.
“In their quest for justice, the PAPs have formally petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives through their lawful attorney. The Speaker of the House of Representatives assigned this case to the House Committee on Public Petitions, which has since issued two summonses and held two hearings.
“However, despite repeated invitations, the Minister of Works has refused to appear before the committee, resulting in a third summons being issued by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, Michael Etaba. This continued disregard for the legislative process exemplifies the Ministry’s disposition to justice and continued dismissal of the Project-Affected Persons’ plight.”
The coalition further called for the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
Umahi had stated that the budget for compensation on section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway increased from N8bn to N18bn.
He also stated that everyone on the compensation list of section 1 of the coastal road must have been paid in 10 days.
Project-Affected Persons along the Lagos-Calabar Highway rejected the Federal Government’s N18bn compensation offer, describing it as insufficient compared to the actual value of their properties.
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