Lagos State government is embarking on the Fourth Mainland Bridge project, which is expected to lift the state socioeconomically, but at the same time heightening fears and anxiety because of the envisaged adverse effects it will have on hundreds of families in the state.
The 38-kilometre bridge is expected to gulp about $2.5 billion (about N1,123,825,000,000), and by all standards laudable, but for the disclosure that about 48 estates will be affected.
Special Adviser on Work and Infrastructure to the state governor, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, who made this known allayed the fears of those affected, assuring them of adequate compensation, in line with international best practices, would be made to cater to the imminent loss of their properties to the construction work.
It has been gathered that the state government is carrying along the 48 estates, traditional rulers and others that would be affected by the bridge.
The project in question is to pass through Lagos and Ogun states, as much as it is a Lagos State initiative for the two states driven by Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, which means that, “all of the corridors within Lagos and those within Ogun State, there is a harmonious and integrated approach to settlement and that is what we will do and each party will be properly compensated and resettled where necessary. The approach is going to be holistic. I think the issue of compensation is not the case. It is actually a composite plan to make everybody happy.”
Despite promises from all quarters, property owners and other stakeholders are sceptical about adequate compensation and resettlement, although the two state governments have created a platform known as Panel Review Meeting on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to discuss the project and its impacts.
Property owners, tenants, business owners, as well as other stakeholders have expressed concerns over the proposed bridge.
Some of them have publicly demanded from the governments of the two states the modality for compensation, the exact amount to be paid to each person among other issues. They opined that anything short of this will amount to forced eviction.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, however gave his word of assurance that the arranged compensation would be adequate.
Specifically, he said that dwellers of Ijede and other areas would be captured in the compensation arrangement, telling them not to nurse any fear.
According to him, “This has been our tradition. You will recall that recently, when we were doing the Red-Line channel, before the construction took off in 2021, we had compensated everybody involved. We compensated all the landlords and for the first time in the history of Nigeria, we compensated the tenants for the discomfort that they had suffered because of the construction as they were asked to leave their homes suddenly and abruptly. They had to leave because of that project. This is not going to be an exception.
“We have done the environmental assessment. We have taken register of all the people who are going to be affected. The experts have said that about 800 buildings are going to be affected. You can be assured that everything will be done to make people who are going to be affected comfortable.
“So, there is no need for anybody to panic. The project is at its initial stage. We haven’t even done the groundbreaking but we are very sure that the project is going to be executed. We cannot execute the project without compensating the people whose homes are going to be taken away because of the project.
“The project is a blessing to Ikorodu axis,” the residents agree. Before now, they have been clamouring for another exit road. This is expected to bring massive development to the area. Some community leaders have urged residents to persevere.
The project must not be executed in a way to make residents and property owners homeless. As much as the project is developmental, people must not be subjected to hardship. The affected people should not be made to bear the brunt, all in the name of development and expansion.
The Land Use Act stipulates a process for compensating affected residents or property owners.
Besides, the Lagos State government has a process for paying compensation and resettlement. All these should be put into use for fair play. All actors in the project must work assiduously to avoid social backlashes.
In a project of this magnitude, the real concern is the social reaction. When people are adequately compensated, there won’t be much problem; they will see the project as theirs. This brings the positive aspect of the project to the communities. People are going to lose their jobs, farmlands and properties. You have to compensate them and they need to get the compensation at the right time.
The Federal Government too has expressed concern over the proposed project, saying that it is taking note of the significant negative consequences of the “laudable” project.
Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdulahi, through Mr Gomwalk Celestine, said: “Despite the laudable benefits associated with the proposed project and considering the biophysical and socio-economic nature of the proposed corridor, the project was envisaged to have significant negative social, economic, health and environmental consequences, including resettlement issues for numerous Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
“It is the responsibility of the Federal Government, in collaboration with other tiers of government and relevant regulatory authorities, to ensure that these negative impacts are adequately identified and effectively mitigated while the attendant positive impacts are realised for project and environmental sustainability.
“As policy makers, we must ensure adequate provision of an enabling environment for investments in critical infrastructure such as this project for Nigeria to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Nigeria’s commitment to Net Zero by 2060.”
We therefore implore the principal actor, Lagos State and its Ogun counterpart to make good their promises of compensation. It shouldn’t end on mere promise, as carrying it out is more important. The beneficiaries should not be left at the mercy of the officials. The government should be open and judicious about the payment of the compensations, even as the federal government takes the position of a watchdog so that no one is left disgruntled at the end of the day.