The Lagos State Government has assured residents and stakeholders of Oyingbo and Apapa Road of adequate compensation on the proposed removal of their structures to give way to the Bus Terminus construction at the ever busy Oyingbo. This, he said, is in continuation of the proposed modern smart city currently embarked upon by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday, at the Conference Room, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos on how to seek the cooperation of the affected stakeholders, TPL Abiola Anifowoshe, the State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, said “for a modern city to come up, there is need to change the face of the State, hence the plan of the State Government is to allow some structures give way to allow the modern terminus as being proposed by the Ambode-led administration to take shape”
The Commissioner also said the present administration would never remove any structure before informing the stakeholders, but maintained that since the inception of this administration, Akinwunmi Ambode has mandated that there should be stakeholders’ meetings before removal of any structure.
This, according to him would enable the State Government and the stakeholders rub minds and proffer solution which would be in the overriding public interest, stressing that the government has a “human face, we do not just wake up bring down people’s structures erected with their hard-earned money ”
He emphasized that the Lagos State Government would compensate as long as there are evidences and proof that the identified structures belong to the people. Anifowoshe urged all affected property owners to bring any proof of ownership to the office of the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
He added that affected owners without any proof of ownership should take photographs of their property and bring it to his office for verification and assured them that adequate time would be given to them.
According to him, “The project is in fulfilment of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s promise of rehabilitating all road networks in the State and ensuring even development across the State.
“I just want to implore our people to cooperate with the contractors and at the end, we will all benefit from the dividends of democracy. I can assure you that the Lagos State Government would never do anything without engaging those concerned and whatever we do is for the overriding public interest and benefit,” he said
He added that concerned property owners with building permit, survey plan, land conveyance or receipt collected from the family that sold the property would be adequately compensated. “As long as you have the photograph of your structure and it is proven to be yours, Government would compensate.”
Earlier, the Project Manager, LAMATA, Femi Fayombo who enumerated the scope of the project to include a rail and bus terminus at Oyingbo interchange point, whereby a passenger can decide to take BRT bus to the terminal and join a train from the same point to Alagbado or Agege as the case may be. He however added that the project is for the benefit of the people in Oyingbo and the entire Lagos State.