Following the outcry and condemnation over marking and demolition of houses for the construction of Circular Road, the Oyo State government has instructed the officials of the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development to stop the going beyond the 150 metres marked along the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road.

The state government had also commenced enumeration of affected houses in the corridor with a view to paying adequate compensations to those affected.

Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo, stated this during a press briefing jointly addressed with the commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, in Ibadan.

Akin-Funmilayo maintained that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde would continue to prioritise the welfare of its citizens and residents for more growth and development.

He explained that contrary to claims that Governor Makinde extended the setback on the road from 150 metres to 500 metres, the governor had not acquired any square metre of land within the corridor of the Circular Road since 2019 when he got into office.

According to him, 150 metres to the left and 150 metres to the right of the Circular Road were acquired in August 2006 during the administration of Senator Rashidi Ladoja as the governor of the state, while the 350 metres to the left and right of the road was also acquired and gazetted by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2018.

Akin-Funmilayo, however, assured the affected residents of the area of adequate compensation after due enumeration of their lands and property have been concluded, adding that the marking of buildings along the corridor were for enumeration to know the number of affected property captured and to stop those that are erecting new structures on the acquired lands and not necessarily for demolitions.

He also assured the affected property owners that the government, in the meantime, would stop the marking and demolition of affected buildings.