Owners of properties compulsorily acquired by the federal government for the construction of the second Niger Bridge, took over the federal Ministry of Works at the federal Secretariat, Asaba, Delta State, to register their grievances over the nonpayment of compensation to them, five years after.
The protesters numbering over 200 stormed the federal Secretariat, accusing the Minuter of Works, Fashola, of allegedly abandoning the original plan and diverting monies meant for payment of compensation to private pockets.
The protesters seized the federal ministry of Works, noting that until their plights were answered, they would not leave the office.
They said the office of the ministry of Works, would be converted to their bedrooms until they were compensated as they are now homeless.
Some of the placards reads: “Diversion is not the solution to the problem”, “we will not allow the diversion if you don’t pay”, “2nd Niger Bridge, is it a life Project”?
Others reads: “Compensation is our right, “Fashola tell Buhari the truth”, “lie, lie is enough”, “2nd Niger Bridge Project is for all Nigerians not an Igbo project”,
Also, “Fashola, stop lying”, “5 year, Have we committed any offence”, “Fashola stop these lies, our eyes are open”, “is five years not enough?, Abacha loot must be used”.
Spokesman of the group, Chief Bamidele imona, “five years ago, the federal government came with their consultants to take details of our properties and later people from the federal ministry of Works came and took our bank accounts.
“They said they want to do the second Niger Bridge. They told us that they have compulsorily took our properties and that we should not go there again. For the past five years nothing has been done and we learnt that it is Abacha loot that was sent to Nigeria, by the United States government.
“They said it was the loot that they are going to use to do the second Niger Bridge and till now nothing has been done and when you check the Second Niger Bridge, what they want our dear president to come and Commission is mirage.
Another speaker, Dr. Mrs Josephine Crossdale, who spoke on the compensation, said: “we are here to tell the president that we have not been compensated.
“And we want our compensation because they have taken that land for over five years. They asked us to fill forms and we have submitted our details for more than two years and yet stories have been flying that we have been compensated, that is not true.
“We want the president to know that we have not been compensated. Monies that have been made available for all the property owners to be compensated, are being diverted. We want the president to know and we want our compensation, it is our right”, she stressed
One of the landlords on the right of way, Engr. Uche Onuora, said they were representatives of the affected landlords and property owners which comprised Okwe, Igbuzo, Oko and Okpanam on the Delta axis while on the Anambra axis, are Ogidi, Obosi, Nkpor, Umuoji, Umuoyan and Ogbinike.
The wife of a late military personnel, Mrs Christiana Vizor, lamented that she is stocked with bills of her children’s school fees and rent.
“I don’t know where to start from, I am suffering. Since 2014 when my husband died, no money to feed my children, no money to pay their school fees. I cannot stay in the barracks continuously.
“For five years nothing is happening, they have been deceiving us that they have released money to pay us, no money”* she bemoaned.
