Some affected house owners in Gombe and Bauch states have expressed displeasure over what they described as poor compensation package by the governments over demolition of their houses and shops.
A resident of Kumbiya/Kumbiya ward in Gombe metropolis, Lukman Yusuf who was a victim said he was giving the sum of N5 million for a building worth over N15 million by the state government.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Daylight Reporters, Yusuf explained that that the said building was bidded for N15 million in 2018, which according to him was not sold because the property was said to worth more than such amount.
While speaking, he explained further that, “Our house is at the centre of Gombe metropolis, which sized about 477.9 square meters was earmarked for demolition, and we have been given a check of N5million as compensation, the money cannot afford to buy a land of this size even at the outskirt of the town, let alone erecting a structure.
“In 2018 someone bidded the house for 15million but we refused to sell it to him because the price was not okay for us, and now they are giving us N5million.
”When they gave us the cheque, we wrote a complain letter and submitted it to the governor’s office and the office of the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, they promised to look into the matter but up till now we are still waiting for them.
“One Sani Sabo came to us this morning threatening to demolish the house even with our properties inside.
“We don’t have the capacity to fight the government, but we are calling on them to do the right thing”, he said.
Another resident, Salisu Abubakar said he was given a cheque of N67,500 for his five shop rooms which he said is grossly inadequate to build that type of house, considering the high cost of building materials.
According to some of the affected people who spoke to our correspondent, compensation issue have been a problem since the coming of the present government, as similar cases have been experienced in various places such as Madaki and Jekadafari among other places.
Meanwhile, the Director of Press Affairs to Gombe state Government, Ismaila Uba Misilli, who spoke on the issue said he would not comment on the matter, saying that the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure is responsible to comment on the issue.
While speaking on phone, Misilli said: ” the ministry involved would have better answer, because the ministry knows the technicalities, and since the affected people have written to the ministry and other concerned office, then the ministry is in better position to give answer.”
Similarly, a resident in Bauchi state, Sadiq Muhammed, whose family house that contained five rooms and a shop was demolished by the state government, said, twenty two of the family members who according to him inherited the said property were paid compensation of N1.5 million.
Muhammed, however, explained further that the sum of twenty two thousand Naira was paid as compensation on the second property.
When asked if proper valuations were carried out on the properties, he said, “Honestly speaking, we have not done any valuation on these properties, but twenty two of us inherited these properties and we have never thought of not getting more than five million naira”.
While expressing displeasure over the development, Muhammed further explained that; “Compensations were shared in the court and alot of people have submitted petitions among which is someone whose property is worth more than Hundred Thousand Naira but received six thousand naira as compensation.”
Another resident, Murtala Mai Littafi, said, he was only compensated by the government with the sum of one hundred and seventy six thousand naira for his shop that was demolished.
“Government marked and demolished my shop and paid me ‘One Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand Naira’ only as compensation, which is not even enough to pay my rent for 3years in another location. This is inhuman and am not happy at all,” he frowned.
Mai Littafi who frowned at process said, “My neighbour sold his own property which is located on the same location with my own property at ‘Six Hundred Thousand Naira’ and I believe they are of the same value.”
“I wrote two petitions because apart from my personal property, my family owned property was also affected.
“On the family owned property which is very big, they paid us Four Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira only.”
“What really annoyed me was the fact that some of our neigboura were receiving Three Hundred Thousand Naira, Some were receiving Four Hundred Thousand Naira, which even their properties are not even half of ours but we receive that small amount.”
“After critically studying the situation, I got to understand that there has never been a compensation as low as the one we received in the entire history of Bauchi State.”
“I became so angry and I wrote two petitions and took it to the ministry of lands, but they said since I have already cashed our the cheque for the compensation of my personal propery, they’re not going to listen to me. They insisted on not taking the petition on my family owned property too, but someone I can’t mention pleaded with them and they took it.”
All efforts by Daylight Reporters to speak with the Spokesperson of the Government, Mukthar Gidado proved abortive as he neither answer several calls nor replied the message sent to him.
