Residents affected by Ibadan Circular Road project are demanding answers from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on their land ownership, compensation for demolished properties plus expansion of the corridor, saying they are disgruntled with the governor’s recent broadcast.

The residents, who had several questions on the implementation of the project asked the government to clarify the status of the existing land documents and the proposed 1,000-metre corridor and delay in compensating the homeowners whose properties are being demolished.

They also asked the state government to publish a copy of the Global Certificate of Occupancy allegedly issued to the Oyo State New Towns and Cities Development Agency, stating that the affected landowners deserve to know the legality of the titles.

One of the main issues the residents have is whether the existing Deeds of Sublease are still valid in the populated areas of the corridor and what happens to the proposed undeveloped land within the proposed 500-metre landmarks.

They also questioned whether the government had taken a comprehensive survey of the dimensions and boundaries of populated communities within the proposed 1,000-metre corridor.

According to them, the government must explain how it plans to identify and map out the affected communities if a survey hasn’t been done. The residents also asked for clarification on when the landowners can start processing their documents through the Ministry of Lands and whether the restriction on land transactions and developments along the corridor had been lifted.

On compensation, the residents raised the issue of the delay in verifying and paying the homeowners whose properties have been demolished in Egbeda, Lagelu and Akinyele local government areas. They asked the government to explain the scope of the ₦5.8 billion compensation apparently mentioned by the governor, stating the number of local government areas to be covered by the fund and the schedule of disbursement.

They also demanded clarity on the fate of communities with relatively few houses within the proposed corridor, recalling that assurances had been made that affected homeowners would be compensated before their houses were demolished.

The residents demanded a clear policy on such communities, saying homeowners must not be left in doubt about the fate of their properties. Questions were also raised about the economic argument for industrialisation for the project, with the proposed new gazette featuring prominently among the residents’ concerns.

They urged the government to clarify the relationship between the proposed 1,000-metre corridor and the existing 75-metre right-of-way reportedly established during the administration of former Governor Rashidi Ladoja in 2006. The residents said the government should make sure that any new gazette does not cause further uncertainty for property owners and called for the publication of relevant documents to enable the affected communities understand the legal implications of the proposed expansion.

They also questioned what happened to their concerns and why the disbursement of the reported ₦5.8 billion compensation had been delayed.

While acknowledging the importance of infrastructure development, the residents maintained that the human consequences of the Circular Road project cannot be ignored. They cited demolitions, disrupted livelihoods, uncertainty over land ownership and delays in compensation as issues in need of urgent government intervention.

The residents urged Seyi Makinde to move beyond public explanations and provide specific answers, publish relevant land documents, establish a transparent compensation timetable and clarify the legal status of the proposed corridor. They asserted that affected homeowners deserved transparency, due process and fair treatment, insisting that development should not leave residents uncertain about their homes and investments.

The residents said they would continue demanding answers until the outstanding concerns were addressed.

As at the time of writing, the specific questions raised by the residents require clear answers from the Oyo State Government, particularly on the compensation process, status of existing land documents and the legality of the proposed expansion of the Circular Road corridor.