Demolition: Osun landlords protest unpaid N2bn compensation

Some senior citizens, who are the owners of buildings demolished by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration for the expansion of some road projects in Osogbo, on Tuesday, stormed the House of Assembly to protest the nonpayment of about N2bn compensation since 2012.

The aged protesters, who had waited patiently for the Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, swiftly blocked him before he could enter his office.

Armed  with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters who are owners of demolished buildings at Fakunle, Olaiya, MDS, Old Garage, Ayetoro and Baba Onisekere area made a passionate appeal to the Speaker to persuade Aregbesola to pay them.

The spokesperson for the landlords, Moshood Oladejo, said the Speaker demonstrated that he was a caring leader by choosing to address them on the spot.

They said they had met with the governor on some occasions and had written to him but he had not paid them the compensation he promised.

Oladejo said those whose buildings were demolished after theirs had already been fully paid by the same government, wondering what caused the delay in paying them.

Oladejo, who suggested that the governor could pay the owners of the 350 buildings demolished in batches, told the Speaker that 10 of them had died because of lack of money.

He said majority of the owners of the buildings were retirees, who depended solely on rents from the buildings to feed.

Oladejo said, “Our pain was made much more severe upon the discovery that the governor started setting those to be affected by the dual ideation of Odi Olowo.

“His Excellency has duly compensated our counterparts who fell victims of the same circumstance and has left us to our fate. The biting economic situation of the country coupled with the devastating reality of homelessness requires an urgent attention and intervention by your office and the governor.”

The Speaker lauded the peaceful conduct of the aggrieved landlords but assured them that the lawmakers would discuss the issue with the governor.

He also commended the protesters for being patient with the government and for suggesting payment in batches which he said should be okay with the governor.

He asked the leadership of the aggrieved landlords to come and meet with members of the House of Assembly on Monday for further discussion on the issue.