Landlords and landladies in Osun State, whose properties were demolished in 2012 for road expansion projects, have appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to facilitate the long-overdue payment of their compensation.
The affected property owners, under the umbrella of the Landlords and Landladies Association (Ayetoro, Igbonna, Olonkoro, Old Garage, MDS, and Olaiya), lamented that over a decade after their homes were destroyed, they are yet to receive the N750 million compensation promised by the government.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Osogbo, the association’s chairman, Moshood Oladejo, disclosed that ten members have died due to hardship caused by the demolition.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration must come to our aid by fast-tracking the payment to save our members from imminent death. We have lost ten members already due to the economic situation in the country,” Oladejo said.
He recalled that the buildings were affected across multiple locations, including Orita Baba Onisekere, Ayetoro, Igbona Adenle, Olonkoro, Ajegunle, Old Garage, MDS, and Orita Olaiya, with a total compensation value of N750 million assessed since 2012.
The former Governor Gboyega Oyetola-led administration in 2022 approved the payment in six installments and released an initial N150 million tranche. However, since then, no further payments have been made.
“We are reminding Governor Adeleke of his campaign promise to address our plight. Now is the time to remember us. With the current inflation, the compensation amount is no longer sufficient, but we cannot even access what was originally agreed,” Oladejo added.