Osun to spend N800m on compensation for acquired land

OSOGBO – The Osun State government said on Thursday in Osogbo that it had budgeted N800 million as compensation for land acquisition from its citizenry.
Mr Muyiwa Ige, the Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, said this in Osogbo during the 2014 budget defence before the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation.
Ige said the budgeted sum would be used to clear the backlog of compensations to land owners as well as new land that might be acquired by government for developmental purposes.
“The provision made for compensation in the budget is targeted towards new land acquisition as well as the existing ones within the limit of the budget.”.
The commissioner said that government paid more than N670 million as compensation for land acquisition in 2012.
He added that the sum of N200 million was expended for the same purpose in 2013.
Ige said that in addition to payment of compensation, the government had also provided some palliative measures to affected land owners.
He said that the government would continue to work towards creating opportunities that would alleviate the suffering of the people.
The commissioner explained that land acquisition by government was for overriding public interest.
“Once government identifies a place for development, the next step is to engage the land owners in discussion.
“If there is a structure or livestock on such land, we enumerate it and through proper documentation, will ensure the money gets to the direct beneficiaries.”
Ige said that the government had been fast tracking the process of compensation to ensure the affected land owners were adequately compensated. (NAN)