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Tag: Compensation

  • Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: FG withholds payment of some compensations [See why]

    Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: FG withholds payment of some compensations [See why]

    The Federal Government says it is withholding payment of compensation to affected property owners from Kilometer Seven on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, due to alteration on the plan.

    The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, said this when he inspected ongoing works on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other road projects on the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Tax Credit Route and Eleko, among other axis, on Saturday in Lagos.

    The minister said that, to resolve most of the compensation issues where a lot of critical infrastructure were affected, the government had reduced the entire corridor from Phase Two, Section Two of the coastal route, to effective pavements of 55km, including the 10 train tracks.

    He said that the government had released about N10 billion so far in compensations.

    Umahi said, “We are going to withhold compensation payment from Kilometer Seven because we have re-routed some of the sections, like the white sand beach.

    “I know the indigenes have been praying very well. I think God has answered their prayers because we have also compressed the corridor to 55 effective pavements with the 10 train tracks.

    “We reduced the 10 tracks from 55 to 20, and we are taking it back also towards the beginning of this project.”

    The minister said that after review, payment of the compensation would continue.

    “For Section Two, we are going to have brand new enumerators so that they will also give us their opinions.

    ” It is going to be very, very fast,” the minister said.

    According to Umahi, many property are going to be saved.

    He said, ” We saved all those cables and saved the whole community of Okunaja, by not only re-routing, but re-routing entirely through a swamp.

    ”I hear that some people are calling to protest that we are re-routing to the swamp, that we should go to the gazetted and then destroy the cables.

    “I wonder what kind of people we are dealing with. It is very funny.

    ”I believe that they will see reasons to be very reasonable.”

  • European court orders Russia to pay compensation

    European court orders Russia to pay compensation

    Russia has been ordered to pay around 142.7 million dollars in compensation to Georgia, almost 15 years after the war in the South Caucasus.

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced this in Strasbourg on Friday.

    The order follows a ruling by the court in 2021, when the judges found that Russia had been responsible for “inhumane’’ acts against Georgian citizens after the end of the fighting, which lasted from Aug. 9, 2008 until August 12, 2008.

    Georgia lost control of its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the war against Russia.

    The court concluded that Russia could not be held responsible for human rights violations during the five-day war.

    After the ceasefire, however, the Russian authorities were responsible for the situation in the conflict region and should have enforced the Human Rights Convention, the judges said at the time.

    Russia, however, had allowed looting, pillaging, abuse and torture by South Ossetian forces.

    Georgian civilians had been taken prisoners, driven from their homes or killed. Until now, the question of compensation had remained unanswered.

    Whether Georgia will actually get the money seems doubtful.

    Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe because of its war against Ukraine and is, thus, no longer a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, which the ECHR ensures is observed.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that he would no longer recognise rulings by the court.

    The Council of Europe, the Human Rights Convention and the court are all independent of the EU.

  • Compensation to gulp N1.1bn as Delta Govt approves devt of Asaba waterfront

    Compensation to gulp N1.1bn as Delta Govt approves devt of Asaba waterfront

    Delta Government has approved the development of Asaba waterfront project with construction of six lane road along the waterfront and has earmarked about N1.1 billion as compensation.

    The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed in a chat newsmen on some of the decisions taken at the State Executive Council meeting that held in Government House Asaba.

    He said that the approvals were in line with the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administrations’ promise to work assiduously till the last day in office.

    Aniagwu also said that the council approved the rehabilitation and asphalt overlaying of the second phase of the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku Road (old Lagos/Asaba Road).

    The commissioner said that council also approved the construction of perimeter road around the Asaba Airport to check incursion of animals and ensure security at the airport.

    He said that in order to ensure improved services and costs reductions at the state owned general hospitals; government also approved the provision of renewable energy mix (solar powers) to power the hospitals.

    The commissioner said that the government was considering the engagement of a consultant to help it reconcile it’s Federation Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) accounts receipt with financial institutions on commission basis if there were recoveries.

    According to Aniagwu, the Umunede/Ogwashi-Uku road, formerly a Federal Government Road has been taken in phases due to financial burden and that the project has become necessary to open up the communities.

    “We, before now have seen the need to develop the waterfront in Asaba and for us to do that, we needed to also pay compensations to those who own land in the area.

    “The waterfront is from the Anwai axis up to the city centre in Asaba, and beyond the payment of N1.1 billion compensation, we are also going to construct a six lane dual carriage road for us to drive straight to the waterfront.

    “So, that has been approved and for compensation to be paid to those whose land are within the water corridor and to those whose land will be affected by the construction of the six lane road.”

    Aniagwu said that for the state government to keep its debt records straight the council also considered utilising 60 per cent of what the federal government owed it to write off its domestic debt with the federal government.

    “As a government, we are also desirous to finish strong.

    “We also approved today, the engagement of a consultant to help us reconcile our FAAC account because sometimes you may not have the kind of remittance that should come from the financial institutions.

    “We have also considered that the federal government is indebted to us largely, we also have some level of domestic debt.

    “So, we are considering taking about 60 per cent of the money owed us by the federal government to write off what they say we are owing them,” Aniagwu said.

  • Ikun Dairy Farm: Ekiti pays N21m as compensation to land owners

    Ikun Dairy Farm: Ekiti pays N21m as compensation to land owners

    The Ekiti State government has paid N21 million as compensation to 263 traditional land-owning families for the land it acquired for the establishment of Ikun Dairy Farm in Ikun-Ekiti, in Moba Local Government area of the state.

    Mr Ebenezer Boluwade, the Special adviser to the governor on Agriculture and Food Security, made the disclosure on Saturday at Ikun-Ekiti, while presenting cheques to the beneficiaries.

    Newsmen reports that the Ikun Dairy Farm was established in 1980, with hundreds of fattened cows, as an integrated agro-allied farm to boost the economy of the state.

    The farm spans across 1,000 hectares of land.

    Boluwade explained that the land was acquired by government for the industrial development of the state.

    “We assure the beneficiaries who are farmers, of government’s support such as provision necessary farm inputs to improve and increase crop yield in their new locations.

    “We also assure them of employment creation to Ekiti citizens,” he said.

    He advised the beneficiaries to cooperate with the state government to actualise its set objectives toward the development of the state.

  • EndSARS: Edo pledges to pay N190m compensation to victims

    EndSARS: Edo pledges to pay N190m compensation to victims

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has said that government would pay N190 million as compensation to victims of the 2020 EndSARS protests against police brutality as recommended by the State Judicial Panel of Enquiry.

    Obaseki said this at a meeting with Edo State youths on EndSARS on Friday at the Government House, Benin.

    The governor said his administration had agreed to comply with the recommendations of the panel.

    He said: “I set up a panel to investigate cases of police brutality against the people.

    “The panel has done its work and submitted its report.

    “In summary, 117 petitions were received, 25 of them was struck out, while 10 were dismissed.

    “The panel recommended compensation to be paid to victims totaling N190 million, while the amount of judgment sum recommended to be enforced was N98 million.

    “I have accepted that we will pay those who were victims, not waiting for anybody, not even the Federal Government.

    “There should be regular promotions for the police as at when due, enforcement of welfare package, training and re-training of police officers, upward review of salaries, yearly mental evaluation and quarterly test for hard drugs.

    “We promised that against all odds, we will change the face of governance and this will only be possible through frequent and constant interactions.”

    The governor gave N1 million each to two victims of the EndSARS protest, Ohima Steven and Miracle Ailenokhoria, pledging to continue to to pay for their treatment.

    In his remarks, a member of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry, Ogbidi Eromosele, thanked the governor for ensuring that youths were part of the panel.

  • Igboho’s aides sue DSS, demand N100m compensation

    Igboho’s aides sue DSS, demand N100m compensation

    The 12 associates of Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, have instituted a rights enforcement suit against the Department of State Services (DSS) for being paraded on the media as criminals.

    They filed the suit on Wednesday before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court who presided as a vacation judge while the court is on recess.

    In the suit, Igboho’s associates sought a declaration of the court that their detention beyond 48 hours and their media parade without a court conviction constituted a breach of their fundamental rights.

    They also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the DSS from interfering with their personal liberty and freedom of expression.

    Similarly, the applicants prayed for an order granting the sum of N100 million for aggravated and exemplary damages against the security outfit for what they termed a serial breach of their constitutional rights.

    But the DSS lawyer, Idowu Awo, told Justice Egwuatu during the proceedings that his case file was stolen from a member of the legal team who was meant to bring it to the court.

    According to him, his colleague in question boarded a vehicle on Tuesday belonging to criminal elements, known as ‘one chance’, to whom she lost her personal belongings and the case file.

    With the annual recess of the court ending soon, Justice Egwuatu ruled that the file of the fundamental rights suit be returned to the registry for reassignment to the regular court.

  • Baba Suwe, others get N500m compensation from Sanwo-Olu

    Baba Suwe, others get N500m compensation from Sanwo-Olu

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday presented N500 million compensation to popular Nollywood actor, Babatunde Omidina, known as Baba Suwe [and several others whose properties were demolished in Ikorodu to pave way for ongoing Igbogbo-Igbe Road expansion project.

    Sanwo-Olu presented the cheques to those affected at the official unveiling of the newly upgraded Ijede Road.

    The total sum of money paid as compensation by the state government was N500 million.

    Baba Suwe got N3. 1 million as compensation for his demolished property while Malok Petrol Station got N100 million, Stir Oil and Gas Petrol got N36 million, Igbe Central Mosque Degolu Junction got N8 million, among others.

    The project commissioning was the first phase of upgraded Ijede Road (Itamaga to Ewu Elepe), which was 6. 05km.

    Ijede Road is a major strategic road that cuts across four Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), and it is the only road leading to Ijede, Gberigbe, Agura Towns and other 37 communities in Ikorodu Local Government.

    Sanwo-Olu, while speaking at the commissioning of the road said it was a promise fulfilled.

    He said his administration had delivered yet another road that would made life more comfortable and meaningful for citizens .

    According to him, in December 2019, government was in the area to flag-off the extensive rehabilitation works on Ijede Road, saying that on that occasion, he made a promise that the contractor would immediately move to site and that the project would be delivered in 18 months.

    “At that time, we did not envisage the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of the ensuing lockdown on the way we work and implement our projects. We also did not envision the EndSARS protests that degenerated into the wanton destruction of lives and properties.

    “Despite these challenges, and the dwindling financial resources of the state, brought about by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on private and public sector businesses, we have, however, kept our promise and the rehabilitated Ijede Road (Itamaga-Ewu Elepe Section) is being delivered today as scheduled.

    Sanwo-Olu added: “Today, we will also present compensation cheques to some of the affected people whose properties had to give way for the Igbogbo-Igbe Road Expansion Project. This speaks to the fact that ours is a responsive government alive to its responsibilities to deliver the greatest good to the greatest number.

    “Not only are we interested in bequeathing this major road infrastructure to the people of Ikorodu, we are even more determined to ensure that we do this in the most honorable way, by ensuring that those whose properties have had to make way for this project to be realized are appropriately, and transparently, compensated.”

  • Strike: Law students sue ASUU, demand N10bn compensation

    Strike: Law students sue ASUU, demand N10bn compensation

    Law Students Association of Nigeria has dragged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), before the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging what it described as the incessant strikes of the union.

    In the suit which was filed at the court on Friday, the association is seeking an order to compel ASUU to return to the classroom as well as an order of perpetual injunction to restrain ASUU from embarking on further strikes.

    The suit which was filed by the President of the association, Mr Blessing Agbomhere on behalf of his members is also asking the court to compel ASUU to pay N10 billion compensation to Nigerian students.

    This, the association claims is for allegedly infringing on the right of the students to education as guaranteed by Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17 of African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

    The association is further asking the court to order ASUU to pay damages to all Nigerian students for the psychological and emotional torture metted out to them as well as the loss of valuable time following the continuous strike.

    Speaking to newsmen, Agbomwere said that the suit was sequel to its findings that ASUU members had been short- changing the Federal Government by teaching in more than one university.

    He said it’s investigations also revealed that members of the union were engaging in consultancy services in oil companies and collecting multiple salaries at the detriment of the Nigerian students.

    Apart from ASUU, the association also joined Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU President, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Labour and Employment, the Attorney-General of Federation and the Federal Government as 2nd to 6th defendants in the suit.

    The association is seeking among other reliefs, a declaration the strike of the union is a breech of the right of members of the association to education.

    “A declaration that the indefinite strike embarked upon by the 1st and 2nd defendants since March 2020, leading to the closure of government owned universities, which has detrimentally and negatively impacted on plaintiff’s learning and the smooth operation of academic calendar of universities, is a brazen infraction of the plaintiff’s right to education.

    “An order of mandatory injunction compelling the 1st and 2nd defendants to call off the strike and return to the status quo ante bellum whilst negotiation for amicable resolution of the issues in contention or among the defendants is ongoing.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents and/or privies from further declaring or embarking on indefinite and incessant strikes.”

    The students are also seeking an order directing the 3rd to 6th defendants to re-open government owned universities and to honour their contractual agreements with the 1st and 2nd defendants in the overall interest of the plaintiff.

    The students are also asking the court to award the sum of N10 billion against the union.

    “This is to serve as general and exemplary damages for the loss of valuable time, opportunity, mental torture, psychological anguish and general deprivation which the plaintiff has suffered or is likely to be exposed to on graduation.”

    In his statement of claim, Agbomwere said that he is a Nigerian citizen, a final year law student of Baze University and currently the President of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN).

    He further averred that the suit was sequel to a mandate given to him by the Senate of Law Students’ Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), to institute this suit in a representative capacity against the defendants.

    No date has however, been fixed to hear the suit.

    ASUU has been on strike since March 2 and officials of the union have been negotiating with the government since then.

  • BREAKING: I won’t sign off 2021 budget without compensation for #EndSARS victims – Gbajabiamila

    BREAKING: I won’t sign off 2021 budget without compensation for #EndSARS victims – Gbajabiamila

    Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has vowed not to sign off the 2021 budget without adequate provision for compensation of victims of police brutality and demand of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

    The Speaker described protesting youths across the country as midwives of national rebirth, saying their agitation has brought about a historical moment in the country.

    Addressing his colleagues at Tuesday’s plenary, the Speaker said: “You (protesting youths) have moved a nation to action, and now you must join in doing the hard work of making real the vision of a more just, more prosperous, and more resilient nation.

    “We see your true cause. Please do not allow your righteous cause to be hijacked by those with base motives, who see in this moment an opportunity to pursue vendettas, to spread division, exploit the many existing fissures that exist in our society and bring our nation to its knees.

    “You have raised your voices and marched to demand a better Nigeria. From Abuja to Washington, to Calgary and London, your voices have been heard.

    ” Do not allow anybody to convince you that to withdraw from the streets now is to concede defeat.

    “This is the time to move your agitation from the chaos of the streets to the painstaking deliberations and strategic partnerships that birth policy and produce legislation.

    “It is time to mobilise your voices in support of specific policy interventions that will deliver on our shared objectives of national renewal and a country that reflects the best of us. I thank you, your country thanks you, and history will be kind to you.”

    The Speaker said the time has come for the nation to reconsider the system of funding education, stating the current one is a great disservice to the nation.

    Details shortly…

  • BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu joins #EndSARS protests, announces N200m compensation for victims [VIDEO/PHOTOS]

    BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu joins #EndSARS protests, announces N200m compensation for victims [VIDEO/PHOTOS]

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday joined the #EndSARS protesters that besieged the premises of the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja area of the state.

    The governor also said his administration has earmarked N200 million as compensation for families of victims of #EndSARS protest in the state.

    The governor addressed thousands of #EndSARS protesters on Tuesday in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

    The protesters had occupied the entrance to the Lagos State House of Assembly to demand that SARS must go.

    The governor further promised to convey the request of the protesters to President Muhammadu Buhari some of which are increment in police salary as well as Justice for those killed by the police during the protest.

    Recall that the governor had earlier addressed the protesters who thronged the Lekki Toll Gate on Monday to protest.

    All across Lagos on Tuesday, the #EndSARS protest continues as protesters blocked the roads and make life unbearable for motorists.

    Meanwhile the protesters in Alausa on Tuesday did not block the road, but ensured that there is free-flow of traffic in the area, unlike Monday when the Alausa vicinity was shutdown by protesters.