The Kwara State Government on Friday in Ilorin paid compensations to landowners at Fagel/Akunyun Village along the Ilorin-Ogbomosho Expressway in Asa Local Government Area of the state.

The Deputy Director-General, Bureau of Lands, Alhaji Salman Ibrahim, who represented the Director-General, Mr. Tope Daramola, during the ceremony, said N6.6m was approved for the payment of compensation to 69 beneficiaries.

He said the state would not default in compensating landowners whenever their land was acquired, adding that the government was mindful of the needs and aspirations of the landowners and was desirous of ensuring compliance with legal requirements in land acquisition.

Ibrahim said, "We have 69 beneficiaries made up of 68 traditional landowners and one land receiver. All of them have been enumerated and value attached to the land and the economic trees on their respective parcels. As a matter of fact, there is no development on the land except economic trees. Altogether, the total of money approved for compensation was N6.6m.

"As government acquires land, we must compensate because it is part of the process of legalising the acquisition. It is a valid process in acquisition. If there is any other acquisition tomorrow and the owners are due for compensation, we will still pay."

He said that 100 hectares of land were acquired for agricultural purposes on behalf of ZJS Nigeria Limited, noting that acquisition of the land and payment of compensation was the government’s contribution to the agricultural project.

According to him, all the Fagel/Akunyun village landowners have been captured and adequately compensated, adding that with the completion of the compensation payment, the government had fulfilled all the legal requirements for acquiring the land.

Ibrahim said, "We don’t have people complaining of underpayment or not being captured. We have been in the process for about one year now because we want to do the right thing. We had gone to meet the people, enumerated, evaluated the area and made survey. We made publications notifying people who have interest.

"We went physically to the land to meet the people who have interest and they processed their names. We have not received any complaint of anybody not being captured or anyone whose name is duplicated. We acquired 100 hectares for agriculture venture. The agricultural venture is in partnership with ZJS Nigeria Limited."