Niger Gov’t accused of selective compensation for Minna-Bida road project victims

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Some traders at the Soje-Kpakungu Roundabout in Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, whose shops were demolished to pave way for the ongoing road construction, have raised the alarm over what they described as selective and incomplete payment of compensation by the state government.
The affected traders, who said they have been displaced for several months, lamented that while a few of them received compensation, many others were left out despite following all the required procedures before vacating their structures.
Speaking to newsmen in Minna on behalf of the affected traders, Idris Mohammed explained that the compensation exercise carried out by the Niger state ministry of work and infrastructure was not comprehensive.
He disclosed that those yet to be compensated had complied with all directives from the Ministry of Works, including enumeration, documentation, and relocation from the project site.
Idris Mohammed called on the Niger State Ministry of Works to urgently address the issues surrounding the compensation of the remaining traders to alleviate their suffering.
He further appealed directly to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to intervene, stressing that compensation for the affected traders has become a critical issue that requires the governor’s urgent attention.
Mohammed further emphasized that traders at Soje Kpakungu Roundabout are peace-loving and law-abiding, and would continue to support government policies despite their current hardship.
It could be recalled that some shops at Kpakungu Roundabout in Minna were demolished earlier this year due to the ongoing dualization and expansion of the Minna-Bida Road, a major project under the urban renewal programme of the Bago administration.
All Efforts to get the respond from the Niger State ministry for Works and Infrastructure were unsuccessful at the time of filling the report .