The federal government has disbursed N2.75 billion for the first phase of the compensation payouts and unveiled the new design routes for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The minister of works, Dave Umahi, made the announcement at the commencement of payouts to property owners affected by the construction of the 700km highway project, on Wednesday in Lagos.

The federal government had, on April 4, inaugurated a committee to review, evaluate and compensate landowners affected by the construction of the highway project.

According to Mr Umahi, the goal of the committee is to ensure transparency in all undertakings.

He said, “It’s my pleasure to unveil the new design route, and I wish to flag off the compensation from chainage zero to chainage three in a total sum of N2.75 billion. That is very ambitious.

“It’s my pleasure to invite the Director of Design and the Controller to call the people and give them the symbolic amount agreed and to assure that before 1 p.m. tomorrow, you will all get your alert as agreed.

“It will be difficult to show you all that we have done here to protect the claimants so that you don’t go to their houses, this one is private to us.

“But the smaller ones, we can do that symbolically, but no cash is paid.”

The minister also announced that all tenants affected by the demolition at Landmark would receive compensation by the end of the day.

Mr Umahi said, “All tenants within the Landmark premises have been shortlisted for payments by 2 p.m. today. That closes the politics of Landmark.”

The chairman, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway compensation committee, Korede Keisha, while presenting cheques to deserving beneficiaries, corroborated what Mr Umahi said.

She said, “Just like the minister said that this will be done in phases, so, the first 10 recipients would be called today. If you were not called today, don’t be afraid, we are going to call you in the next few days.

“The secretariat is open, and we work 24/7 every day. So, this is just the opening one.”

She named the beneficiaries as Moist Beach, Checkmate, Kingfisher, G12 Beach, Xchange Lounge, Kingston, Landmark Kids Club by Maxtivity, FX Lounge and Bar, and Best Rock.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through the coastal states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, before culminating in Cross River.

Construction of each kilometre of the 700-kilometre highway will cost N4 billion.

(NAN)