The Kano State Government has earmarked approximately ₦1.7 billion to compensate verified owners of land affected by the 330kV transmission project of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Rimin Zakara, Gaida and Ja’en communities.
Under the settlement arrangement, the government has also approved the allocation of one plot of land to each verified beneficiary, subject to final verification and proper documentation.
The Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Alhaji Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar Garko, said the decision was deliberately taken by the administration of Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf to ensure that owners of the affected land were compensated and provided with additional land allocations.
Abduljabbar said the ₦1.7 billion was earmarked to ensure that the owners of the affected properties received their legitimate compensation, while the allocation of one plot to each verified beneficiary formed part of the broader settlement package.
He said the development demonstrated the state government’s determination to prioritise the interests of its people and respond to their legitimate demands.
According to the Commissioner, the government considered it necessary to resolve the longstanding dispute in a manner that would provide relief to affected families while also allowing the TCN transmission project to proceed.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the compensation and other benefits they would receive from the settlement, stressing the importance of utilising the resources responsibly for the benefit of their families and future generations.
The government said the dispute over compensation arising from the TCN 330kV transmission project had persisted for several years and affected families in Rimin Zakara, Gaida and Ja’en communities.
The dispute had, according to the government, resulted in hardship, uncertainty, litigation and delays to an important electricity infrastructure project.
The government said the approximately ₦1.7 billion settlement takes into account payments previously made and outstanding compensation obligations involving verified beneficiaries.
In addition to the monetary compensation, the state approved one plot of land for each verified beneficiary, subject to verification and proper documentation.
The settlement framework followed consultations, engagements and reviews involving affected communities, relevant government agencies, TCN and other stakeholders.
The state government said Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had directed the relevant agencies to reopen and review the matter, reconcile outstanding claims and examine previous payments in order to arrive at a lawful, fair and sustainable solution.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Nura Iro Ma’aji, assured the people of the administration’s commitment to addressing their needs and responding to legitimate demands.
The Governor’s representative said the administration remained committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of Kano residents were given due consideration in government decisions and interventions.
He said the resolution of the TCN compensation dispute was part of the administration’s broader responsibility to address longstanding issues affecting communities and ensure that development projects were implemented while legitimate concerns of affected citizens were considered.
The administration maintained that development should not mean injustice or come at the expense of the legitimate rights of citizens affected by public infrastructure projects.
It said the settlement would also help remove obstacles that had affected the smooth implementation of the TCN 330kV transmission project.
According to the government, the project is important to Kano State and Nigeria because stronger electricity transmission infrastructure could support improved power supply, economic activities, investment and development opportunities.
The government therefore appealed to the verified beneficiaries, community leaders, TCN, government agencies and other stakeholders to cooperate with the final verification, documentation and legal processes required to conclude the settlement.
It stressed that the compensation and land allocation would apply to verified beneficiaries, making the verification process critical to the implementation of the settlement.
The government said resolving the longstanding dispute would provide closure for the affected families while creating an enabling environment for the transmission project to progress.
It further maintained that leadership was not only about initiating new projects but also about resolving inherited problems, addressing longstanding grievances and restoring confidence in government.
The affected communities were urged to continue cooperating with the relevant authorities to ensure that the verification, documentation, compensation and land allocation processes were concluded transparently and in accordance with the approved framework.
The development is expected to provide relief to the affected families while simultaneously addressing the longstanding compensation dispute associated with the TCN 330kV transmission project.
With the ₦1.7 billion compensation package and one plot of land for each verified beneficiary, the Kano State Government said it had established a framework aimed at bringing the prolonged dispute to a final and documented conclusion.