The Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has constituted a Claim Verification and Payment Committee to compensate individuals whose properties will be affected by the construction of the Minna-Bida Road being embarked upon by the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, in a statement at the weekend, said Niger State entered into a partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, to construct the Minna-Bida Road.
The 82-kilometer road links Minna, the state capital, with neighbouring states.
He said the governor raised the compensation committee to address the fears of residents.
“The committee has been granted a six-week timeline, from Tuesday, the 25th of July 2023, to complete its assignment with the utmost diligence,” Usman stated.
According to him, the committee’s primary mandate is to identify each claimant and gather crucial information, including the land coordinates of the affected property and each claimant’s Bank Verification Number.
The data, he said, would enhance the integrity and transparency of the process, thereby preventing potential issues of claims and counterclaims that could cause a setback for the project.
The SSG said the state government had already set aside funds to compensate all affected persons, adding that payments would be made simultaneously with the verification process ahead of the scheduled groundbreaking in November 2023.
He stressed the importance of claimants’ presence at their respective property locations during the verification exercise and implored the affected parties to cooperate fully with the committee to ensure a smooth and efficient process.
The SSG charged members of the committee to uphold fairness and equity throughout the exercise, noting the importance of the immediate payment of verified claimants after the verification process.