Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said the state government will compensate residents affected by its Circular Road Project.
This comes days after the Take It Back Movement held a meeting with the victims of the road project.
According to the group, the project “displaced 360 villages and over five million people”.
Governor Makinde visited the site on April 10, 2023, after the Take It Back Movement’s advocacy and mobilization efforts, which highlighted the plight of the displaced residents and called for action from the government.
But the Take It Back Movement lambasted the governor for allowing the residents to kneel before him as he addressed them.
Governor Makinde addressed the crowd in Yoruba, saying that his government has the resources and capacity to resettle and compensate the displaced residents.
He assured them that they would be placed in better conditions than they were in before.
Despite the disruption and displacement caused by the circular road project, the governor emphasised that every resident affected by the project would be compensated fairly and that no one would be left behind.
He stressed that his government cares about the community and values the votes of the people who elected him into office.
Reacting to the governor’s statement, the Take It Back Movement, through its National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaola, on Wednesday, said the governor’s words ring hollow and do not reflect a genuine commitment to the community.
The movement further stated that it will not accept mere lip service, and will continue to push for concrete action and meaningful change for the community.
Also, the Movement called on the governor to sign a legally binding declaration upholding the initial agreement of a 150-meter space.
The Take It Back Movement further stated that the government’s failure to provide a clear plan for resettlement and compensation before the demolition is highly problematic and raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to the affected community. The Movement called on the governor to publicly release a detailed plan for resettlement and compensation, to ensure transparency and accountability.
It said, “Finally, the movement condemned the condescending manner with which the governor related with the residents; allowing them to kneel before him while he addressed them.
“The Movement views the governor’s actions as a display of power and control over the community, and it strongly condemns this behavior.
“The community members should not have been forced to kneel in front of the governor, and this act only served to further alienate and disempower them. The Movement calls for an end to such behavior and for greater respect and dignity to be shown to the community members.”
