Demolition: Anambra Forecloses Compensation For Landlords

The Anambra State government has no plans to compensate owners of structures destroyed in the course of road construction, an official has said.

The Commissioner for Works, Mr Callistus Illozumba, however, told newsmen in Awka that victims with authentic certificates of occupancy would be considered.

“Whenever there is such development, it comes with a cost and they should understand that.

“The government does not have any plan to pay compensation to owners of destroyed structures because we cannot sustain it.

“Since it is the demand of the people to have good roads, they have to create space for them and they were wrong to encroach into existing roads.

Illozumba said that genuine cases cleared with Lands and Quantity Survey unit could be treated specially.

He also said that structures on lands where there were no roads before could be considered.

The commissioner urged the public to bear the temporary pain arising from the development to enjoy the long-term benefits of the government’s efforts.

Illozumba reiterated the call on construction companies in the state not to destroy public utilities, maintaining that the earlier warning was still in place.

He advised them to liaise with the ministry in-charge to ensure that such facilities were protected.

The Anambra government last week gave approval for the award of contracts worth N16.8 billion for some roads, a shopping mall and a hotel in parts of the state.

Some of the roads are Okpuno-Urum-Amanuke-Achalla (17 km), Amansea-Ndiukwenu-Awa-Ufuma (27 km), Federal Government College, Nise road and Akabo-Mbaukwu-Haba River-Agulu road, among others.