By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – Enugu State Government through the Rural Access and Mobility Project-2 (RAMP2) has compensated farmers and shrine owners affected by a road project in Ojjor Community in Uzo-Uwani LGA.
RAMP-2, supported by World Bank and French Development Agency, compensates for loss of economic trees, plants and cultural heritages to road construction.
The Communication Development Specialist of Enugu RAMP- 2, Mrs Nkechi Ugwuagbo, said in a statement in Enugu on Wednesday that 41 people affected by the rural road project, comprising 32 crop owners and nine shrine owners, were compensated.
“The 32 farmers were given N8,100 each for their farmlands, which the community rural road will pass through, no matter how small the farmland is.
“The nine shrine owners have 34 small shrines and one gigantic one, making it 35 shrines.
“For the small shrines, a compensation of N2,000 was paid for each, and for the gigantic shrine, N268,400 was paid.
“This exercise will ensure that the 35 shrines on the road corridor will be relocated to enable the commencement of civil road construction in the area,’’ Ugwuagbo said.
She said that, in keeping with RAMP-2 policy, the state Resettlement/Grievance Redress Committee paid the compensation on Feb. 22 directly to the 41 affected people.
”At the meeting for the payment, the Traditional Ruler of Ojjor Community, Igwe Emma Umunna, thanked God and the state government for remembering the community.
”Umunna said that the Igala speaking community of the state had not had any government presence for long.
”He thanked the RAMP-2 Acting Project Co-ordinator, Mr James Ugwu, for facilitating the project.
“This road construction will alleviate the suffering our people undergo to transport agricultural produce such as rice, yam, cassava and fish to points of sale,’’ she said.
The state government flagged-off RAMP-2, which included Abor Road, Egede-Awhum Road, UNTH-Enuguagu-Ndiagu-Umuaniagu-Obe-Amuri Road, St. Mary Ngwo-Nsude Road and Ugwuoba-NkwereInyi-Inyi Road.
The others are Neke-Mbu-Ogbodo-Aba-Obollo-Eke Road, Ukpabi-Nimbo-Ugbene-Ajima-Eziani Road, Ikwoka-Amagu-Ajuona-Akabusiyi-Obimo Road and Adani-Asaba-Igga-Ojjor Road.
