Image caption; Governor Seyi Makinde
N5b payment to Osun: Again LAUTECH landowners beg Makinde on compensation
Yinka ADETUNJI
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Against the backdrop of another payment of N1b by the Oyo state government to its Osun state counterpart, the Agunbiade family of Isale-Afon, Ogbomoso, has again appealed to the Oyo state governor Engr Seyi Makinde to pay compensation to them and other families over the large expanse of land taken from them for the establishment of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).
Recall Oyo state Commissioner for Information and Orientation Prince Dotun Oyelade, Monday, announced the payment of another N1b to Osun state as part of the agreement for the sole ownership of the institution.
Prince Oyelade in the statement informed that that brought the amount paid so far to N5b disclosing the remaining N3b would be paid before the expiration of the tenure of the present administration in 2027.
But reacting to the news a spokesperson for the Agunbiade family, Engr. Wole Adeshina, in a WhatsApp chat with ogbomosoonsightonline.com, stated that while the Oyo state government is fulfilling its obligations to its Osun counterpart it has neglected the landowners whose inheritance was taken over.
He noted the institution is occupying a land and making payment to Osun state in respect of the institution is doling out their inheritance to another state.
“But we the land owners are still battling to be compensated for the the land. But till date we have received nothing. Now, the portion ceded to the Osun government is not sitting in the air. It means part of our inheritance of generations has been paid to Osun state. Same for the remaining 90% of the land taken over by Oyo state in the negotiated settlement.”
Asked to state the amount expected as compensation he disclosed, “The expected compensation is ₦10bn for the 15 families involved. Agunbiade family alone is about ₦2.0Bn compensation based on the over 400 acres certified survey site plan.”
Engr Adeshina meanwhile added that the family was recently informed by their lawyer that the governor was considering returning parts of the land to the families asserting it’s a welcome development but emphasized the need to pay compensation for the years they were denied access to the land and for the remaining portion.
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“Last month our lawyer said the governor opined that they couldn’t pay the large money but will rather cede back some of the land to the owners. If so, good, but for over 30 years the land owners were deprived access to the land, their source of livelihood. And generational inheritance.
“But no problem he can do as we were told he put forward. Cede back some of the land to us and pay compensation for the residual portion.”
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