The 1,000 landlords and farmers whose land is impacted by the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway have started receiving monetary compensation from the federal government. These compensations are determined based on assessments conducted by qualified professionals. The federal comptroller of works in Cross River State and the Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Yinka Onofuye affirmed this in Calabar on Friday. He mentioned that the payment process is proceeding smoothly and has already been completed in the Awi and Njagachang communities within the Akamkpa LGA area. “The process is going well.” We have managed to identify around 700 to 1,000 individuals affected, depending on their property and claims. “The valuers have completed their tasks; our responsibility is to guarantee accurate payments,” he stated. He mentioned that payments are still being handled in the Odukpani LGA area for ten impacted 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, the project supervisor, expressed concerns that delays are caused by many beneficiaries failing to provide bank accounts or valid identification. He mentioned that the Ministry has also discontinued the previous practice of allowing valuers to collect payments for claimants. “Some people lack account numbers or identification,” he said. We cannot make payments through intermediaries. We emphasized that each beneficiary is required to open a personal account. We invited Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, UBA, and others to register them on-site. “We were instructed by headquarters to discontinue all third-party payments.”
