From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has paid compensation of N232 million to 335 villagers whose farmlands and plots were taken over for the construction of the Bauchi campus of the state-owned university, whose main campus is located in Itas Gadau local government area of the state.
While presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries yesterday at the state ministry of higher education, Chairman of the payment committee who is the Galadiman Bauchi, Alhaji Sa’idu Jahun, explained that
government had acquired from the villagers a total of 1069 hectares of land, 545 hectares for Site I and 524 hectares of Site II of the university respectively.
According to him, the committee spent three weeks at the affected areas to identify the genuine beneficiaries and ascertain the value of their plots, in order to ensure fairness and justice in the payment.
“For the site one, not less than 139 farmers would be compensated for today and the sum of N115 million was earmarked for them because government has taken over their 545 hectares of land for the university”, he said.
He added that “in phase two, over 196 people would be paid a compensation of N117 million, and I believe the money would go a long way in assisting the beneficiaries”.
Some of the beneficiaries who responded, Alhaji Abdullahi Yarima, Suleiman Salihu and Yusuf Musa, expressed appreciation to the government.
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