Homeowners urge shift in coastal road route to avoid N35b compensation

THE last is yet to be heard over the concerns surrounding the right of way of the 700 kilometers coastal road, as some property owners affected by the project have appealed to the Federal and Lagos authorities to consider shifting the route to save their property worth over N35 billion from demolition.

They are also appealing to the Federal and Lagos governments to consider paying them compensation before the demolition of their buildings. The affected properties are in Orile Ilasan, lroko- Awe Community Development Areas, and Oba Elegushi Royal Estate, Lagos.

The Federal Executive Council had recently approved a N1.06 trillion contract for the construction of the first phase of the 700- kilometer coastal road project, which will cover Lagos, Calabar and other states of the country.

In a letter by their lawyer, B. Chinedu Moore & Associates, to the Federal and Lagos State governments, the 50 property owners are demanding a revert to the initial position of the coastal road project. The property owners have forwarded their documents to the authorities. The entire place is covered by the Certificate of Occupancy ( C- ofO) granted to the Elegushi Royal family.

Specifically, they asked the government to shift the coastal road project from their locations back to the regional plan as much as possible. "There is a deviation from the initial position of the coastal road. It is the deviation that has affected them.

“There is ample undeveloped expanse of land space to accommodate the realignment or re- routing being sought. In the alternative, the span of the highway on these sections could be reduced from the proposed 120 metres to about 60 metres as is being done at the Victoria Island and Oniru sections thereof without negatively impacting the overall objective, purpose and use of the highway.

“If the government can't shift it to the original location, they should reduce the span so that up to Ibeju Lekki where there is less development, they can now increase it," they said.

In the letter titled: "Re: Construction of the Lagos – Calabar coastal highway, a letter of appeal for a re- alignment or re- route of the highway at the Orile- Ilasan, Iroko Awe communities ( CDA'S) and Oba Elegushi royal estate sections of the highway in EtiOsa local government area of Lagos state."

The affected communities and estates explained that they are within the layout granted by the Lagos State government to the Elegushi Royal Family of Ikate land of Lagos State vide Certificate of Occupancy dated April 16, 1999, and registered as No. seven at page seven in volume 1999 ( Tourism) of the land Registry, Alausa, Ikeja Lagos.

The letter reads: "Our clients are poised to be very adversely affected by the ongoing stage 1 construction of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway being undertaken by the Federal Government in conjunction with the Lagos State government.