Federal Government Faces Legal Action Over N18bn Compensation Dispute On Major Infrastructure Project
The Coalition for Land Rights Advocacy in Nigeria is preparing to take legal action against the Federal Government over alleged inadequate compensation to those displaced by government infrastructure projects. Coalition head, Sola Enitan, stated that unless Minister of Works David Umahi responds to their demands, they will proceed to court on behalf of the affected individuals, commonly referred to as Project-Affected Persons (PAPs). These PAPs have reportedly faced loss of land, homes, and livelihoods due to a government road project.
Enitan highlighted that despite numerous attempts to resolve these issues through official channels, including three summonses from the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions, the Ministry of Works has yet to provide a satisfactory response. The Coalition has documented instances of “bullying, shaming, and harassment” during government-organized stakeholder meetings, allegedly led by Minister Umahi and his team. Enitan underscored that the government’s approach to compensation fails to meet the standards outlined in Nigeria’s laws, which mandate fair, reasonable, and adequate payments for forcibly acquired lands.
Central to the Coalition’s case are Sections 29 and 30 of the Land Use Act of 1978, which mandate the Land Use and Allocations Committee to mediate compensation disputes. However, Enitan accuses the Minister of disregarding these statutory avenues, instead preferring to pressure PAPs into accepting compensation they deem “unconscionable” and “inadequate.” He added that, after months of unacknowledged correspondences and lack of engagement from the Ministry’s legal department, the PAPs see legal action as the only remaining option unless President Bola Tinubu intervenes.
Minister Umahi, in a statement, claimed that the budget for compensation on section one of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway has been increased from N8 billion to N18 billion and pledged that all those on the compensation list would be paid within ten days. However, PAPs along this route have rejected the government’s offer, labeling it insufficient relative to their losses.
As the Coalition and affected individuals await the government’s response, they emphasize that, without a fair resolution, the matter will be escalated to court to seek justice and adequate compensation.
