A report on page 9 of The Punch of Tuesday, April 30, 2013 indicated that modern shopping malls would be built by the Ogun State Government for those whose shops were demolished as a result of the urban renewal going on in the state. As good as government compensatory efforts may be, we must hasten to ask some fundamental questions: Who now benefits from this anticipated government largesse? Is it the shop owner who could be a landlord or the shop occupier who may be a tenant? Obviously, the compensation being paid by government, no matter the magnitude, would have been for the shop owner and not for the shop occupier. It is desirable for the government to work out an appropriate modality in the execution of its plan so as to discriminate between a shop owner and shop occupier. This is necessary so as to forestall conflict of interest.
Adebanjo S.A.,
Housing Estate, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State,
+23480592591.