Oyo govt begins compensation for landlords affected by Ojoo road expansion
By Adejayan Gbenga
The Oyo State Government has commenced payment of compensation to property owners affected by the ongoing expansion and asphaltic reconstruction of the Ojoo/Akinyele road in Ibadan.
The government said the compensation exercise forms part of efforts to ensure fairness to residents whose properties were impacted by the infrastructure project while sustaining its urban renewal and development agenda across the state.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo, disclosed this during an engagement session with affected property owners where the compensation process officially commenced.
According to a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the exercise was approved by the state government to ensure that no resident suffers undue loss in the course of public infrastructure development.
The statement noted that the expansion of the Ojoo/Akinyele road is designed to improve transportation, ease traffic movement, and boost economic activities within and beyond the state capital.
It added that the project would also strengthen agricultural and commercial activities by improving access to strategic facilities, including the inland dry port, railway station, new town project, and the Circular Road initiative.
The government further disclosed that a standing committee on verification and compensation has been constituted to oversee the process. The committee is chaired by the Executive Assistant on Security to the Governor, retired Commissioner of Police Sunday Babatunde Odukoya.
According to the government, 65 property owners were identified in the first phase of the exercise, with 22 already verified and compensated, while others are still undergoing screening. Officials also warned affected residents against offering bribes, urging them to report any staff demanding illegal payments. Some beneficiaries, including Kayode Adebayo and Alimot Tolulope, commended the state government, describing the compensation as timely and unexpected.
