PROPERTY NEWS

AHEAD of the plans to kick-start the proposed Lagos government-owned international airport project, landowners of the affected areas are urging the state authorities to include them as part owners of the entire project to forestall the possibility of diverting the would-be acquired land for private purposes.

They expressed this view at a stakeholders' meeting held in Ikeja last week. The forum was held to iron out some issues raised by the various communities to be affected by the excision exercise. Representatives of about 65 communities, farmers, government officials and traditional rulers attended the one-day event.

Among the issues discussed include the total landmass earmarked for the project; the scope of the occupied land; the compensation and procedure for relocation, among others.

The Permanent Secretary, Land Bureau, Alhaji Gbenga Ashafa, who represented Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, who set the tone of the meeting, informed the gathering that the project had become inevitable and that affected communities should be ready to make the necessary sacrifice to ensure its peaceful commencement and eventual completion. He said that government would soon embark on the surveying of the areas earmarked for the project.

Although, the size of the land that would be acquired is yet to be made public, but from the information provided during the deliberation, villages and towns to be affected may include Okegun in Epe to Agbadi-Elepe axis, which is a 15 kilometres stretch.

Ashafa promised the communities that project would bring to the people 'good things and great packages,' which drew divergent views from the various groups and individuals.

A women leader from Oko Orisan in Epe Local Government area, Mrs. Shakiratu Bello noted that her grouse against the siting of the project in the area was against the backdrop of government's attitude to what had happened in the past when similar excision was carried out in Okegun.

According to her, government acquired more than 20 hectares of land from Okegun for the purpose of established a "Cancer Centre," in the area.

"Despite that the centre is yet to see the light of the day, compensation that was promised is yet to be effected. But instead, government officials have been allocating the occupied land plot by plot to individual developers for different purposes, thereby rendering us, the original land owners, refuge of some sorts in our land."

The representative of farmers also expressed their apprehension over the proposed site for the project. Speaking on behalf of his colleagues - Prince Wale Oyekoya, Gen. C.I. Nnoli (Rtd), Col. Tunji Ephraim, Mrs. C Isichei, S.O Olatetu, OLATEE- Link Limited, Mr. Idowu Sulynian Dalegan, an engineer, expressed shock over the location.

Oyekoya said the investment in affected area by the farmers' is worth over N5 billion, "When we embarked on the project, we made the necessary enquiry about the status of the landed area and government said it was earmarked for agricultural development. We perfected all our titles and till date, we have been paying our rent grant. So, we cannot understand why such place should be included in the proposed Airport project".

He also hinted that it was the farmers that provided the necessary infrastructure, which include electricity, tarring of three -kilometre road network from Maroko-Epe expressway to farm site, among other facilities.

In his comment, Mr. Olasunkamu Ikujenya, of Ikuforiji Village, considered the project a good idea. "This land is our only legacy. If government takes it now, the so called compensation would end up to just be a peanut that cannot sustain us," he said

Another sub committee of the stakeholders will soon emerge meeting, which will be made up of selected from the Epe and Ibeju Local Government areas. Their mandate is to discuss with the various stakeholders the contentious issues raised at the meeting, harmonise their position and present it to government.