Aregbesola to pay N2bn compensation to owners of demolished properties

With less than 40 days to the governorship election in Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday, held a meeting with landlords of properties affected by his urban renewal projects, promising to pay them N2 billion compensation before the end of the year. The affected people included landlords and tenants along the popular MDS corridor, Fakunle-Olaiya axis, Old- Garage-Igbona-Ayetoro, Ogbaagbaa,-Okefia-Rasco, Ajegunle-Moshalashi Gaji to Orita Baba Onisekere, as well as Railway Line axis, all in Osogbo, the state capital. Aregbesola commended the peaceful manner with which the affected people conducted themselves while the demolition of their houses and structures lasted. While observing that he understands the pain and hardship the urban renewal project had brought to the people, the governor affirmed that the developmental stride of the government, especially the urban renewal, was not aimed at “crippling people’s businesses or inflict pains on their means of livelihood, but to open the state to the international world for desirable investment”. According to him, “as at today, our administration has paid about N812 million as compensation to some of the affected people. I have also approved a sum of N2 billion as additional funds to those whose properties were affected. We promise that before the end of the year, all affected people would have been duly compensated.” In his remark, the representative of the property owners, Mr. Moshood Oladejo, implored the government to fulfil its promise to the affected people.