The 1,000 landlords and farmers whose lands have been impacted by the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway are now receiving financial compensation from the federal government. These payments are based on assessments conducted by certified professionals.
Engr. Yinka Onofuye, the federal comptroller of works for Cross River State and Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Works, confirmed this in Calabar on Friday.
He mentioned that the payment process is going smoothly and has already been completed in the Awi and Njagachang communities within the Akamkpa LGA area.
“The process is progressing well. We have managed to identify nearly 700 to 1,000 affected individuals based on their properties and claims. The valuers have fulfilled their responsibilities; our task is to ensure that payments are made accurately,” he stated. He also noted that payments are still underway in the Odukpani LGA area for ten affected communities.
These communities include Ikot Okon Akiba, Oduyana, Atan, Ekemkpo, Mkpara Otop, Kaifa, Nduoduo, Oboroko, Esuk Ekong, Nkitta, and Ekong Atan Oku, among others.
Engr. Onofuye, who is overseeing the project, expressed concern that delays are occurring because many beneficiaries have not provided bank accounts or valid identification.
He explained that the Ministry has also discontinued the previous practice of allowing valuers to collect payments on behalf of claimants.
“Some individuals lack account numbers or proper identification. We cannot process payments through intermediaries. We have mandated that every beneficiary must open a personal bank account. Therefore, we have partnered with Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, UBA, and others to assist them on-site.
“We received instructions from headquarters to halt all third-party payments. Cheques that had already been issued to consultants were retracted. We are now capturing each claimant’s information anew, taking their details, and sending them directly to the contractor for payment,” he added.
Engr. Onofuye revealed that the last batch submitted to the contractor totaled nearly