Sanwo-Olu gives 60-day deadline to compensate property owners in Ikorodu

 

BY NICHOLAS ABE

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The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, promised to compensate property owners whose houses were demolished in Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ikorodu.

Sanwo-Olu assured that government, within the next 60 days, will compensate the victims whose properties were destroyed to make way for the reconstruction of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, down to Igbe-Ilara.

The over 500 buildings were demolished in December 2017, during the administration of former Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, which started the project.

The governor made the promise at the inauguration of the ultra-modern Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA Administrative Complex in Igbogbo local council secretariat.

He also inaugurated 360 blocks of flats at Ogunleye Estate at Agunfoye Junction, Bayeku.

Sanwo-Olu said paying the compensation had become necessary in order to rescue the victims from whatever ordeal they might have experienced as a result of the demolition of their properties.

“I am giving you a commitment that the compensation due for that road will be paid in the next 30 to 60 days,” he said, adding that the road will be commissioned in May.

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The governor who was received by crowds of Lagosians, including victims of the demolished buildings who had come to protest non-payment of their compensation, disclosed that the Imota Rice Mill would be commissioned before middle of the year.

He promised that his administration was committed to completing all the ongoing projects and infrastructure in the Ikorodu axis before end of the year.

While expressing his administration’s commitment to meet the needs of the people, the governor said construction of the Igbogbo Mini Stadium will be awarded to a contractor before end of the year, adding also that the jetties around Ikorodu and Ibeshe Housing Estate will be delivered this year.

He said: “I must use this opportunity to charge and tell our citizens in Igbogbo division some of our modest ongoing projects and attempts to bring about quality good governance to your door step.

“We are working on the Ipakodo/Oba Sekumade Road being done by Arab Contractors and they have assured me that we will see tremendous improvements within the next two to four weeks on the project.

“We will be handing over the Ijede/Itamaga Phase 1 Road to you in the month of May; the six kilometres road is almost completed. But we are not leaving you to that; we will ensure that we start the Phase ll.

“I have driven and seen the state of roads in Obafemi Awolowo/Baiyeku Road. I will arrange to see how we will award these roads as soon as possible. The Igbogbo/Baiyeku Road, which is a tough one, is being run by Hitech. We have called Hitech to speed up that road so that we can give our citizens the desired relief.

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“But it is not only that, I am standing before you and giving you a commitment that the compensation that is due on that road will be paid within the next 30 to 60 days. We are working on the Agric-Isawo Road. We are pushing the contractor to take it to a logical conclusion.”

Stressing his administration’s commitment to the first pillar of the THEMES Agenda; Traffic Management and Transportation, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration would soon address the gridlock in Ikorodu Garage Roundabout.

He said: “We are about to have a massive transformation at the Garage Roundabout in Ikorodu, which is a major source of gridlock. We have been reviewing what the best model of solving the traffic on that corridor is. The Ayangburen of Ikorodu will attest to it that we have taken representation to his palace on how best to do that road; whether there is going to be flyover or junction improvement, in the next two months, work will start on that roundabout.

“The Fourth Mainland Bridge will take effect from Badore on the Ajah axis and it would be landing at Bayeku/Aiyetoro and will move from Aiyetoro to Igbogbo before getting to Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. We are working assiduously to ensure that our PPP Model works well and we are expecting to flag it off before end of this year.”