No fewer than 2000 farmers in Awe Local Government Area of of Nasarawa State have received full compensation for ceding their lands for the construction of the Dangote Sugar Company in Tunga community.
Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim-Shuaibu, the Emir of Tunga, confirmed the payment of the compensation while speaking with newsmen in Lafia on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dangote Group, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nasarawa State Government and Tunga community, released N800 million as compensation to the landowners.
The company had acquired 60,000 hectares of land for the construction of a sugar refinery in Tunga.
According to the Emir, the land acquired affected 4000 farmers, but 2000 of them have received full compensation without complaints.
“Compensation has since commenced for people affected by the project.
“The first phase of payment have been completed while the second phase has also taken off.
“So far, 2000 people have been paid,’’ Ibrahim-Shuaibu said.
He said that the third phase of payment was being delayed because of the verification by the three committees handling the compensation.
“There is a committee on the verification of the farmlands and there is another one for compensation while the third committee is responsible for payment of the compensation.
“The committee will prepare indemnity funds with passports of the affected people before the payment committee takes over and pays those affected.’’
The royal father assured that all the affected farmers would be fully compensated, urging them to exercise patience and understanding.
“I want to assure everyone that compensation will reach all farmers affected by the project because every single naira is being accounted for,’’ he said.
The Emir expressed gratitude to the state government for attracting the investment to the community.
He also thanked the Dangote Group for pledging to employ youths of the community, once the company began operation