Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai
By Moses Adeniyi
The Lagos State Government (LASG) has decried acts of infractions amongst allottees who benefitted from the its public home units allocation in the State.
The State consequently has warned it won’t tolerate such acts of infractions, but declared readiness to revoke the licences of defaulting allottees.
This is just as the State Government disclosed that through the Ministry of Housing, it has recollected outstanding debts totalling N176,617,500.00 from defaulting allottees with the aid of an improved revenue generation machinery.
The allottees in question were spread across Millennium Housing Estate, Gbagada; Baba Omojola Housing Estate, Gbagada; Millennium Housing Estate, Oke-Eletu; Emeka Anyaoku Housing Estate, Ikeja and Millennium Housing Estate, Ojokoro.
Other acts of infraction which have been observed, to which the State Government has warned may attract revocation of allottees’ licences include, non-payment of service charges, bypass of electric meters and cult activities.
At the ongoing Y2024 Ministerial Briefing holding at the State Capital, Ikeja, organised to commemorate the first anniversary of the second term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai declared the State Government will no longer condone such infractions.
While revealing that old estates were being re-evaluated with a plan to restore their infrastructure and maximise the available lands for greater home yield, Akinderu-Fatai pointed out that some residents of some of the Ministry’s estates do not comply with the extant rules put in place to promote peaceful coexistence of all allottees in the estates.
He warned that the State Government has resolved to act resolutely by revoking the allocations of those allottees who do not comply with agreements signed at the point of release of homes.
He also declared that the allottees must desist from the practice of contravention of the original master plans of the estates through various alterations, modifications and adjustments.
According to him, the Ministry is in the process of reverting to the original master plans and steps have been taken to notify and seal the properties affected.
He hinted that the State Government, may in the long run, retrieve any contravening property under the agreement signed with the allottees.
Akinderu-Fatai confirmed the readiness of the Lagos State Government to enhance fairness and transparency in the allocation of housing units through the use of a ballot in the allocation of some of its home units.
He added that the first balloting exercise will be conducted for Lagos State Public Affordable Housing, Idale in Badagry Division and LagosHoms at Odo-Onosa/Ayandelu in Epe Division on the 4th of June 2024 and that the process will be monitored by independent observers.
He further called on residents of the State to be wary of the activities of dubious individuals or organisations who parade themselves as registered Real Estate agents in the State.
He disclosed that it is an offence for an individual or organisation to engage in Real Estate business without due registration with the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency (LASRERA), urging the practitioners in the sector to always act responsibly and follow the path of the law.
Furthermore, he averred that the Lagos State Judiciary, in collaboration with LASRERA, has promised to expedite actions on court matters relating to Real Estate to obtain timely justice for defrauded members of the public.
Hon. Akinderu-Fatai also mentioned the introduction of Joint Venture guidelines for effective Public-Private Collaboration, the use of technology for efficiency in monitoring Housing projects, initiation of sinking funds for the external painting of the housing units in all new estates at three to five years intervals and enforcement of insurance of housing units against natural disasters and implementation of 40% rebate for homes allocated to 698 Civil Servants in the State.
He further disclosed that the Ministry through an improved revenue generation machinery was able to collect outstanding debts totalling N176,617,500.00 from defaulting allotees in Millennium Housing Estate, Gbagada; Baba Omojola Housing Estate, Gbagada; Millennium Housing Estate, Oke-Eletu; Emeka Anyaoku Housing Estate, Ikeja and Millennium Housing Estate, Ojokoro.
