Taraba government initiates disbursement of compensations to Wukari landholders

Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, has started compensating landowners in the state’s Wukari local government council.

The Federal University of Wukari now stands on land owned by the beneficiaries, of whom our reporter learned that number 182.

Remember that the landowners had taken the university administration and the state government to the State High Court, claiming that they were not compensated for properties that had been taken from them twelve years prior.

In a phone interview on Thursday, P.M. Shagnah, the landowner’s attorney, confirmed that the payment has begun and that it will be carried out gradually.

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He declared, “The long-awaited land compensation to 182 farm owners whose lands were acquired for the building of Federal University, Wukari, has since begun to be paid by the administration of Taraba State under governor Agbu Kefas.”

Shagnah stated that he has authorised and released cash for the beneficiaries to begin receiving payments, clarifying the governor’s commitment to repaying the debts accumulated by past regimes.

The Beneficiary Association Secretary, Bawa Ba’aku Bawa Adi, confirmed to our reporter that the payments had started as well. He said that in response to their distress, the current administration released monies, which have already been distributed to beneficiaries as initial installments.

Speaking with our reporter, a few recipients described their experiences stemming from the purported inability of previous administrations to address their predicaments by declining to provide the necessary compensations.

They applauded the current administration’s dedication to alleviating their suffering by paying compensation, but they encouraged the governor to see to it that each and every beneficiary was taken care of.