_Demolition And Gnashing of Teeth, When would our compensation be made? Says Hopeless Residents_*

Three months after over 1,200 houses, banks, churches, mosques, filling stations and shops were demolished in the Alagbole Ajuwon Ojodu-Berger, Sango Ijoko area of Ogun State, to pave way for road expansion, affected shop and property owners are bewildered, as hopes of promised compensation by government dim.

Now, left with no source of income, some of those affected are squatting with friends and relatives within the vicinity, waiting for the government to redeem its pledge.
Since the invasion of the area on Monday , July 5, 2017, the victims, especially landlords have continued to count their losses. Banks, shops and filling stations owners, among others that were caught unawares, have incurred mounting debts due to their sudden closure. For now, their hopes appear to be forlorn as several attempts to reach the state Commissioner of Works and Housing, Mrs. Olajumoke O. Akinwunmi , by affected property and business owners have not been fruitful, as they alleged.
Their fears are made worse by feelers from government circles that the demolished area was a “government acquired area,” consequently the compensation may not be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, people are liable to sacrifice their property be it residential or commercial property for development according to Land Use Act and constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Workers are laid off and usually the explanation is usually in the interest of the company.

However,the best practices all over the civilized world is to notify owners of properties,or employees as the case may be,negotiate with them in union or individual and budget for compensation made and appropriated as the case may be. It is no longer news that several state government and indeed Ogun State governor is seriously embarking on rebuild mission which is said to be in the overall interest for the people. This indeed is a noble adventure of the state government as presently led by Sen Ibikunle Amosun. Irretrievable Properties owners bone of contention now is that in this part of the world we usually claimed that government is that Ogun State Governor is depriving them dividends of democracy as Government or governor are somehow interested in making name for themselves and care not about those affected in their actions but instead they claim they are helping in disguise. This among other is the thinking of many people at the moment in Ogun State.

*_What is obtainable all over the world is that provision for compensation are made , payment are made and by that people are relocated with such communication and with having stroke or dehumanized watch as their building goes down but is the situation the same in Ogun State?_*

*_Now that their buildings and businesses are paralyzed, and there is no clear cut on what the state is planning to pay each affected owner and when. A very curios liberated mind would not be out of place to ask if there is budget for it and how best the state plan to channel such...?_*

“We appeal to the state government to help us with some amount of money so that we can make adjustment having lost our properties to the demolition exercise.
“The majority of landlords here are elderly people who depend on the rent from these shops and houses for a living.

A trader at Sango whose shop was demolished, Mr Nonso Okeke, told Amebo Feeds Naija Blogs that the exercise would affect his life.
Okeke said that he had just finished the payment of the shop in February with the agreement that the shop has become his personal property for life.

“I paid N2.5 million for outright purchase of the shop from my landlord in July ; after two months of payment, we received notice from the government that the place would be demolished for road construction.

To make matters worse, after the demolition exercise,job stopped and workers vamoosed from the site, a signal that the state did not carry out diligent assessment before approaching the issue.Mr Chris Nwatulegwu,an hotel owner in his lamentations said,if only this people allowed me to operate till after this Christmas season,i would have at least made little to feed my family.

When exactly do we grow above this myopics mannerisms of inflicting injuries in each other in the name of service and heritage?