The Oyo State Government on Wednesday released N325 million as compensation to owners of properties demolished in Iwo Road in Ibadan for the construction of bus terminals.

Some shops and other business blocks were demolished before Governor Seyi Makinde laid the foundation for the two bus terminals in 2020.

Several efforts of the owners to get compensation from the government failed until Thursday, two days to the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.

Mr Makinde is seeking a second term under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The State Commissioner for Public Works, Daud Sangodoyin, who presented cheques to the beneficiaries, said 227 persons were paid the compensation.

The commissioner said “strict processing” of the claims was the main reason for the delay in the payment of the compensation.

“We have two bus terminals that we are building at Iwo Road which occupy two private properties and we need to pay compensation. So, for those that have no litigations on their properties, they are 227, which today, we have started paying them compensations worth 325 million naira,” he said.

“All we had to do was to identify the owners of the properties and present their cheques to them. Three ministries are involved in the valuation of the properties, namely; Ministries of Justice, Lands, Public Works,” he added.

“They did the valuation of the properties and based on their recommendations on the worth of the properties, that’s how we arrived at the value for each property. And we’re not making this payment in batches. Like I said earlier, the money is already available for all those with no litigations on their properties.”

Source: Premium Times