Homeowner Appeals to Gov Eno for Fair Compensation after Property Demolition

A property owner in Akwa Ibom State is asking Governor Umo Eno to look into the compensation given for his land taken for the state’s Medical City project. He says the money he received has left him in a tough financial spot and feeling drained.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the property owner, Peter Lambert, explained that the Akwa Ibom State Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Town Planning, paid him ₦3.7 million. He claims it cost him nearly ₦8 million to buy and develop the property.

“Dear Gov Eno, in life, I’ve tried my best to get certain things and am still struggling. This is the condition your Government, through the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Lands, has put me (at Ekpemiong Itak, where you are building Medical City), due to poor compensation for a site that took all my savings between service year (2021) and post-service year (2025),” he wrote.

Ekpemiong Itak is located along the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road. The Akwa Ibom State Government took land in the area to build Ibom International Hospital, part of the medical city, which the Minister of Health, Mohammed Ali Pate, recently launched.

Mr Lambert mentioned he spent “close to ₦8 million” on the land, survey, drawings, a fence, soakaway, and an uncompleted three-bedroom bungalow. He only received ₦3.7 million in compensation.

“If by any time soon or later, I finally declare that I’m completely tired of this world, I don’t think anyone would blame me for giving up because I did my best.”

‘I just feel tired’

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Mr Lambert shared his feelings about the compensation issue. He said his statement showed the frustration and hopelessness he feels.

“When frustrations are too much, and you feel hopeless in a situation that someone could have helped, I just feel tired.”

He added that he is not looking for special treatment but hopes the government will pay him a fair amount based on his investment.

“Even if they give me something close to the amount I spent, at least I’ll be okay.”

Mr Lambert expressed that rebuilding the house will be harder now because construction costs have shot up.

“When I was buying cement, it was between ₦9,500 and ₦10,000 a bag, but now cement is ₦13,000.”

His situation comes as owning a home is getting more difficult in Akwa Ibom. Many people in Uyo are facing high land prices and rising construction costs. Tenants are also struggling with increased rents from landlords.

With housing becoming less affordable, losing a partly built house through compulsory acquisition can be a heavy financial blow. Fair and clear compensation is very important for property owners affected by such acquisitions.

Building stopped before roofing

In a video he shared, Mr Lambert explained he was building a three-bedroom bungalow from earnings made between 2024 and 2026. He said officials from the Ministry of Lands and Town Planning told him to stop work because they needed the land for the Medical City expansion.

“I was about to roof it when people came from the Ministry of Lands and Town Planning, requesting that I should stop work and that Governor Umo Eno wants to extend a project towards there.”

He added that he accepted the land acquisition expecting to receive fair compensation.

“I didn’t have any problems, and I was expecting that the compensation would be something better.”

According to Mr Lambert, the property is 611 square metres and has survey documents and a Certificate of Deposit from the Surveyor General’s Office.

The video he posted on Facebook showed the building was nearly finished. The property also has a fence and an uncovered soakaway.

Mr Lambert consulted an estate valuer, Emem Usoro, to discuss compensation with government officials. He said the valuer advised him to accept the compensation rather than challenge the government.

“My valuer agreed on the amount and asked me to go get the money and not to fight the government.”

But when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Usoro disagreed with Mr Lambert’s claim. He said he only explained that under the Land Use Act of 1978, compensation is not given for the land itself because the government considers the land to belong to the state.

“Not really, that I advised him to accept the payment,” he said. He added that he did not stop Mr Lambert from seeking legal action if he felt the compensation was not enough.

“As a valuer, I did not tell him not to take legal action… If the governor or whoever is in authority says this is the rate we are going to pay… and you don’t want it, the only thing to do is to go to court,” he said, adding that the acquisition was necessary for public interest.

Government declines to comment

When asked for comment, the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Ubong Inyang, told PREMIUM TIMES to contact the ministry’s Permanent Secretary.

When reminded that a state government rule prevents permanent secretaries from speaking to the media without permission, Mr Inyang said he could not comment either. He directed the inquiry to the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah.

Mr Umanah did not answer calls or texts seeking comments.

Mr Lambert’s situation raises bigger questions about how compensation for land taken for public projects is set. Are affected property owners getting enough value for their investments? What options do they have if they want to challenge the compensation amounts?