Posted by The notorious Atikankan district of Ado Ekiti is surrounded by a vast stretch of swampy, foul-smelling shanty slum that the Ekiti State Government is starting to acquire in an effort to improve the Central Business District and address the issues in the area.
During an advocacy tour and stakeholder engagement, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the Commissioner for Information, and Oladapo Karounwi, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, announced this.
The present Atikankan region was deemed unsuitable for human habitation by the two.
Karounwi stated that the State Government is concerned about the high crime rate area. He also mentioned that the new development would address the issues of environmental pollution, traffic, and life and property safety in the area, as well as enhance the district’s and the state capital’s overall aesthetic value.
The Commissioner added that official acquisition was not completed and that earlier administrations had verbally acquired the aforementioned area but had not followed through.
The Ewi-in-Council and the owners of the nearby properties have met with the current administration, he said, and they have identified historic and cultural sites that need to be preserved. They have also added that the government has received approval in principle to clean up the slum and upgrade the land so that people can use it to expand their businesses.
In order to guarantee that the owners receive fair recompense prior to demolition, he continued, government representatives will shortly start marking the impacted structures for accurate enumeration and assessment.
“We will not move to the site until the land owners have received adequate compensation,” he declared. This is a sensitive government, one that represents the people and is concerned with the well-being and happiness of its citizens. Before we start destruction, we’ll make sure that everyone is satisfied and that their compensation has been paid.
“To ensure attaining the intended outcome, environmental and social impact assessments will also be carried out in accordance with international best practices.”
The projected slum demolition and area upgrading, according to Commissioner for Information Taiwo Olatunbosun, would improve the area’s socioeconomic activity, state-generated revenue, and environmental health.
Olatunbosun, however, urged everyone involved to work with the state administration because the initiative is being undertaken for the general public’s benefit.