Various civil society organizations, CSOs, have expressed their belief and trust in the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, over the promise of adequate compensation to all property owners, whose means of livelihood might be affected in the course of the construction of the long-awaited 4th Mainland Bridge.
Recall that the Lagos State government has signified its preparation to construct the long awaited bridge, but the natural apprehension of property owners along such route is always about prompt and adequate compensations for their property that may perish under the bulldozers when the project commences.
Allaying the fears of the residents, Convener and National President of the Campaign for Dignity in Governance, CDG, Comrade Razaq Olokoba, who called for calm, said, “Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu that we know is a man of his words who walks exactly his talk.”
Buttressing his assertion, Olokoba reminded that “this is the man that has passed our periodical integrity test severally; and has never disappointed us for once,” adding that, “any word uttered by Sanwo-Olu can be taken as a legal tender that can be presented to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and would be honoured.”
Speaking in the same vein in Lagos during a chat with our correspondent, the Public Relation Officer, PRO, of the Nigeria Peace Movement, NPM, Comrade Adekunle Adeosun, said, “With what we have seen and known about Governor Sanwo-Olu, we believe and trust him that whatever he says is what he means.”
Adeosun admitted that “his words are always his honour.”
Against this background, Adeosun urged property owners along the marked out route to be rest assured of Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s trust-worthiness, emphasizing that “the governor is a man of his words.”
Also lending his voice Sanwo-Olu’s trustworthiness, Comrade Olawale Oladipupo of the Pan-Lagos Youth Movement, PLYM, said, “Governor Sanwo-Olu, who has been tested and trusted would not renege on his promise. The trust the people have in him that earned him a second term ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, would not be destroyed by reneging on his promise at this crucial period of election, at least to make everybody happy.”
The media was recently agog with the report that the Lagos State government has assured stakeholders, such as landowners and property owners that it would pay compensation on any property affected by the construction of the proposed bridge under discussion.
The Special Adviser to Lagos State governor on Works and Infrastructure, Ms. Aramide Adeyoye, was quoted to have allayed fears that government would not pay compensation, reminding that adequate payment of compensation is in line with international best practice.
The assurance was reported to have been given at a Panel Review Meeting on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, ESIA, of the project, held on Wednesday in Lagos.
