Industrial revolution: Landowners assured of compensation
Landowners at Akilapa and Kuponiyi communities along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have been assured that the state government would pay due compensation for all lands acquired from them for industrial purposes.
The assurance was given by the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi, at a meeting with the representatives of landowners from the communities where parcels of land were acquired by the government for its industrial revolution.
Ajimobi who was represented at the meeting by the state Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ajiboye Omodeewu, explained that for ease of doing business and trade in the state, land must be made available to investors so as to increase government’s internally-generated revenue, create employment and wealth, reflate the economy as well as industrialize the state.
“We all need to make sacrifice for good things we desire and, as the representatives of the government, we are ready to ensure that we follow due diligence and do the needful for the people of the state. We are ready to pay compensation to the landowners but we will initially enumerate properties according to the stipulation of law”, the governor said.
Continuing, he said, “the request of the communities on what will benefit them when the foreign companies start working is natural and we want to assure that the companies will abide by the corporate social responsibility code. They will provide social amenities for the people and these might include the establishment of hospitals, schools and other benefits”.
The governor implored the people to key into the vision of the government towards increasing employment opportunities, wealth creation and building financial capacity through industrialization.
In his remarks, the leader of the delegation from the two communities, Rasaq Akilapa, said their people shared the vision of the state government to create an industrial hub in their villages through the Pacesetter-Polaris Free Trade Zone and Industrial park.
Akilapa informed reporters of the readiness of the dwellers of both villages to always support the government in improving the quality of lives of residents.
He called on the government to speed up the compensation process, saying, “the people of Akilapa and Kuponiyi communities where the Free Trade Zone and the industrial park are located are happy for the development and we know we will be the most benefitting party. Our prayer is that the compensation payment be fast tracked.”
Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan