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A cloud of controversy has begun to form over the Ogun State Government’s Homeowners Charter Scheme as some subscribers alleged rip-off, discrepancies and high-handedness by verification officials processing issuance of land title documents.They also alleged that due to the discrepancy in the title documents for the scheme and regular Certificate of Occupancy, financial institutions such as banks reject certificates from the state.

Property owners claimed that bottlenecks in the scheme have created apprehension among the over 150,000 subscribers, who queried the repeated visits to their property by officials of government which cost them between N5, 000 and N15, 000 for each inspection.

There were also allegations of officials requesting the sum of N5, 000 from subscribers to facilitate the issuance of assessment forms as well as the continuous selling of the forms at the rate of N30, 000 to unsuspecting subscribers with assurance that their forms will be processed along with the previous ones.But, the state authorities dismissed the allegations from the property owners, arguing that, both certificates are the same. Officials also distanced the state from the continuous sale of forms and collection of money from subscribers by inspectors.

The scheme launched three years ago as an integral part of the government’s mission to rebuild the state enjoyed widespread acceptance. It was supposed to provide data for the medium-term planning for provision of roads, schools, hospitals and other essential services it pledged, and promised 85 per cent discount for subscribers to the scheme.

Under the scheme, property owners without the required building approvals, or houses built on land belonging to the state government were given a window of opportunity to obtain building plan approvals, Certificates of Occupancy and other documents that will establish their ownership to the property .

Essentially, interested property owners made an initial deposit of N5, 000, and submitted documents that can be used to establish ownership of the property such as land purchase agreements, deed of gift or sublease, receipts, and survey plans.However, to establish claims to ownership of property, officials undertake an initial visit to the site to confirm that the property is indeed eligible for the programme, and information provided on the form is accurate. Property exempted are those built under Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) high tension cables, those occupying Right-of-way of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline, those on the ‘set-back’ of roads, water bodies and gullies, as well as those built on flood plains or areas under acquisitions.

A subscriber, who gave his name simply as Olaolu Muyiwa said he paid for the form at the cost of N30, 000 and another N15, 000 for their visit to be part of the scheme recently.There were also allegations of indiscriminate sending of ‘fake’ text messages to subscribers for purported visits, in which case officials will identify fault and ask for a fee for rectification.

He said: “ I have gone severally to their office to ask for my assessment all to no avail as I was always referred to Abeokuta. I have not being communicated with on the stage of my application form a year after my property was inspected.“I am not alone on this, because nobody from my area has received any assessment. We are apprehensive that after this year, it will be another government gimmick to raise money from residents surreptitiously”, he lamented.

As their tale of woes continue, The Guardian learnt that only 17,448 Certificate of Occupancies have so far being issued to residents out of 113,000 property inspected.
Official documents show that 150,000 people applied under the scheme, out of the lot, 29,600 of them have already made payment while 71,000 people have been invoiced. Another 42,000 other qualified subscribers are yet to be invoiced.

These figures, another subscriber in Owode, near Mowe said, is an indication that many may not get their C of Os during Ibikunle Amosun administration as stipulated in the form. His apprehension was anchored on the present monthly issuance of 1, 000 Certificate of Occupancies to subscribers.But the Director General, Bureau of Lands and Survey and Special Adviser to the State governor on Lands matters, Biyi Ismail, told The Guardian that there is no course for alarm, saying there are plans to issue 3,000 certificates per month.

He also said that the verification exercise is now being conducted by staff from Ministry of Lands, Urban and Physical Planning as well as Finance, to ensure quicker and proper land measurement, building plans and assessments.The DG stressed that for the 70,000, who are qualified will get their home charter before the end of this administration. “ My advice is that, they have to be patient. It takes time. 70, 000 is huge. They are coming out in batches; a batch was done two weeks ago and we are planning another one for next week.

“Each individual is treated as a unique case. Some times delays come from those that applied but did not provide the necessary documents, “ he added.Buttressing the state’s readiness to issue the certificates to subscribers, the senior special adviser to Amosun on Land, said 70,000 subscribers, who are yet to get the C Of O will get it as measures are in place to ensure that qualified subscribers get their certificates.

According to him, the success of this scheme is the success of this administration. So we are doing everything possible to see that they get it. “We have plans to do 3,000 every month, the number will be exhausted before the end of this administration.

On the alleged discrepancies between the Homeowners and Regular C of O with some bearing certificate of occupancy, while others bear certificate of ownership, the government said, both certificates are the same. “The banks that reject these certificates do not understand the system. It is the same C of O there is no discrepancy.

On the issue of repeated visits, the DG said sometimes, it is being done to correct certain anomalies noticed on the files of subscribers. Ismail also frowned at the allegation of continuous sale of forms when the time frame has elapsed.

He said: “It is illegal to sell form now just as it is illegal for
inspectors to be collecting money from subscribers. I have a feeling that those collecting money from subscribers are fakes who sent text messages that did not originate from our office.”

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The Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Biyi Ismail, who stated this in a statement, said the Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Adebola Adeife, would distribute the documents from Wednesday at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

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While presenting the title documents to the 1,000 beneficiaries, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga, said the state government would not relent in giving priority to the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy to applicants under the scheme.

“I want to congratulate the beneficiaries of today and to assure other applicants who have yet to collect their documents that we are working on them and they will be distributed as soon as all the processes are completed,” she added.

PUNCH.

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Presenting the title documents to the beneficiaries at the Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the commissioner, who was represented by the Director of Administration and Supply in the ministry, Mr. Dolapo Adewunmi, stated that thousands of people had become “real landlords” through the benevolence of the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led government, which had showed that it was sincere and would always stand by its words.

He said the process of obtaining the documents was convenient and affordable for the citizens, noting that due process was followed in order for the exercise to be a success.

“In celebrating Ogun at 40, the present administration has worked hard to change the face of the state through the Homeowners’ Charter programme and other notable projects such as the construction of Ogun standard roads and flyover bridges, model schools, agriculture and rural development and youth empowerment, among others,” Adegbite said.

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The commissioner gave the assurance that other qualified applicants under the scheme would soon receive their title documents.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning, Alhaji Mufutau Adetimilehin, said the benefits of the Homeowners’ Charter programme included the elimination of ownership disputes and problems of land speculators, and promotion of an orderly and planned environment, just to mention but a few.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Babatunde Soyombo from Ijoko-Lemode, said that the title documents were genuine, affordable and had made them authentic property owners.

PUNCH.

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The Director of Rural Electrification in the ministry, Mr. AbdulRasaq Ojetola, said in a statement that the schemes comprised 7.5KVA power generator, tanks, pipes and fetching platforms, among others.

“Government has deemed it fit to provide potable water and adequate sanitation in an affordable way as well as the required infrastructure to facilitate and enhance socio-economic development across the local government areas,” he said.

Ojetola said the ministry, through its Department of Rural Water Supply, had also constructed solar powered borehole water schemes in Ikereku Olodi, Abeokuta North; Yewa Disu, Yewa North; Sigi Baido, Ewekoro; Lisa, Odeda; Ehin Osun, Ijebu North East; Jabata, Imeko Afon; Osunbudepo, Ijebu North; Fakale, Sagamu; Areago, Obafemi Owode; and Oguru, Ijebu East.

He said the ministry had also organised a programme tagged: ‘Ile kan, igbonse kan, ko je lilo’, ‘One house, one toilet for use’ to improve sanitation in the rural communities.

“Hence, there will be significant investment that will confirm the state government’s presence to the rural dwellers through the provision of potable water, rural electrification projects and construction of roads,” he added.

PUNCH.

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They alleged that the takeover was to pave the way for the siting of more manufacturing industries in the area.

However, the state government through its Bureau of Lands and Survey claimed that it had paid owners of land in the area the sum of N300m as compensation.

Many of the villagers denied receiving such money, arguing that only a handful of them, mostly settlers, were compensated.

They accused the state government of being insensitive to their plight.

They also alleged that the government had already acquired 440 hectares of the community’s land mass of 500 hectares and sold it to manufacturing companies.

The villagers noted that the state government had marked out another 30 hectares from remaining 60 hectares for siting of industries, which they said would render them homeless and without any ancestral roots.

They displayed placards, some of which read: ‘Ogun State Government, please, leave our ancestral land’; ‘Leave our forefathers’ land for us in Areke, we are begging you’; and ‘Areke people are begging government to please, vacate our land now’.

The protesters appealed to the state government to shelve the planned acquisition of any part of the remaining 60 hectares of the community land and the demolition of the few remaining houses in the village.

The spokesperson for the community, Odufora Awojebe, said over 300 houses would be affected and over 1,000 residents would be rendered homeless.

He appealed to the government to consider the plight of the villagers now confronted with the loss of their ancestral home, adding that taking over the remaining 60 hectares, which included the land earmarked for the construction of schools, market and hospital, would be tantamount to exterminating the entire community.

“We know the governor as a man of the people. We voted for him during the elections. I knew him since I was working with Total. We are sure the governor knows nothing about this matter.

“Out of the 500 hectares of land the community used to ha0;0ve, only 60 is left and now they want to take the remaining and send us to the street.

“Some of the companies already operating here have yet to pay us compensation for the crops and economic trees that had to give way for them to locate their factories here. Some of them have not given even one indigene of this community the smallest job in their companies. This is our homestead, our roots and we are begging the government to leave the remaining 60 hectares for us.”

Meanwhile, officials of the Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey declined to comment on the matter.

Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, did not pick calls made to his telephone by our correspondent, neither did he reply the text messages sent to his mobile telephone.

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Adeyinka, in an interview with journalists, said the state government had given priority to infrastructural development, the provision of affordable housing and creation of more jobs for the people.

He said the development had attracted his company to partner with the state government on affordable housing provision in parts of the state.

Adeyinka said, “The present administration is so passionate about development and has done so much for us. The governor has invested a lot in the state and we are also ready to continue partnering with the government to further enhance the growth of the state.

“We have put a lot of our resources here in the state and we are grateful to the governor for his efforts in realigning towards the success of our projects.”

He also called for a review of the Federal Government’s policy on housing in order to tackle major challenges that developers were facing in providing affordable housing.

“We are faced with difficulties in accessing government land, followed by non-availability of funds, the cheapest fund available to estate developers in Nigeria is the Estate Developers’ Loan of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. There is also the problem of the cost and availability of local building materials,” he said.

He added that the housing policy needed to be reviewed in order to critically address these challenges.

“The government can use real estate construction and agriculture to drastically reduce unemployment and align our economy to the path of growth,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the firm said in a statement that in line with its vision of providing affordable housing for the masses, it had organised an open house programme to showcase the different housing projects in three of its estates in Lagos and Ogun states.

The statement read in part, “The programme is scheduled to start with the Gateway Sparklight Estate Phase ll in Ibafo,while the Rockview Estate, Abeokuta follows immediately between August 11 and 15. The Gateway Sparklight Estate and Rockview Estate are projects funded by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria through the Estate Developers’ Loan Scheme.

“Sparklight is in partnership with two primary mortgage banks, Trust Bond Mortgage Bank and Mutual Alliance Mortgage Bank Plc, in providing decent and affordable housing for Nigerians through the National Housing Fund loan scheme. We are poised to provide quality housing for the masses, thus contributing our quota to affordable shelter provision for Nigerians.”

It added that the open house for the Grace Court, which is expected to accommodate over 100 families in two and three-bedroom flats, would take place at a future date in September.

PUNCH.

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