Niger gov establishes compensation committee for affected households of Minna-Bida road construction
The Niger State Governor, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, has established a compensation committee to collect data on the households that are likely to be affected by the impending Minna-Bida road construction.
Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), unveiled this in a signed statement on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
The 82-kilometer road is co-sponsored by the Islamic Development Bank, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and the State Government.
The SSG mentioned that the committee comprises members from different Niger government officials, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders and is given a six-week ultimatum starting July 25 to round up their given tasks with utmost diligence.
He added, “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 (BVN). This additional data will enhance process integrity and transparency, thereby preventing potential issues of claims and counterclaims by the claimants, which could cumulate to any setback for the start-up or progress of the project.
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Alhaji Usman continued, “The State Government has already set aside funding to compensate all affected persons. Payments will be made simultaneously with the verification process, paving the way for the commencement of civil works and groundbreaking in November 2023, in accordance with the current project work plan.”
He mentioned that the appointees are saddled with the responsibility to smooth ‘direct real-time online payments to the claimants, eliminating the need for contact with government officials.’
Alhaji Usman urged every claimant to be present in person at his/her affected property location during the verification exercise and implored them to cooperate maximally with the committee to ensure a hitch-free process.
He concluded by charging the team members ‘to uphold fairness and equity throughout the exercise, stressing the immediate payment of verified claimants after the verification process.
‘The SSG stressed that the timelines for verifying each location would be communicated through the Village Heads and the claimant’s Attorneys.’
