Politics
Ogun Set To Deliver 250 Units Semi, Fully Detached Duplexes At PMB Estate Before End Of 2023, Says Abiodun
Ogun Set To Deliver 250 Units Semi, Fully Detached Duplexes At PMB Estate Before End Of 2023, Says Abiodun
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that his administration will make available, about 250 semi-detached and fully detached duplex houses at the President Muhammad Buhari (PMB) Estate before the end of the year.
Governor Abiodun, who made this known during an inspection of the first phase of the 60 mixed development scheme at Kobape, Abeokuta, on Thursday, said that the project when completed would have a recreation park, shopping center, and security post among other facilities.
“I am sure that between now and the end of this year, we will have nothing less than 200 to 250 units that will be completed here with the complementary landscape and all other pieces of furniture that are required to make this place an ideal place to live,” he said.
Abiodun, while disclosing that the project is among several inherited from the past administration, noted that the contractor, who according to him had taken the state government to court and was about to get a judgment against the state, has been paid off.
The Governor also stated that his administration began the installmental payoff of the outstanding amount unpaid by the immediate past administration.
“A lot of taxpayers money was spent on this project. Before we assumed office, the infrastructure contract had been awarded, basically the road network and the street lightning poles that you saw here.
“However, the contractor was never paid. By the time we assumed office, the contractor had taken us to court. We didn’t even realize it because the previous administration had left the matter in court unattended to.
“So, when we assumed office, the contractor was about to be given judgment against the state. So, we had to scramble, wade into it, work out an amicable settlement with the contractor and began an installmental payoff of the amount outstanding.
“So, the Dapo Abiodun administration paid off the contractor,” he said.
The Governor, while calling on prospective investors to take advantage of the discount available on the properties, said that his administration does not want the property to continue to remain idle as it had been in the last six to seven years.
“I expect them to come and start paying now because I am not involved in the direct sales. But, I am sure that our team has a plan where if you pay now while the construction is going on, you get some sort of discount.
“If you wait till it is finished, of course, you will pay a premium. So, I want to encourage the public to take advantage of the discount; you better come and pay now. We are a promise keeping administration.
“The development that we did across from the Governor’s Office, the King’s Court, that was a success. It was a success that it was not only sold out, we had more buyers than the units we built. So, I don’t want to put a time frame on when you should pay; it is up to you to come and pay,” he said.
The state helmsman also disclosed that his administration came up with a Public Private Partnership program where people were invited to express interest to partner with the state.
“We invited people to come and express interest to partner with us, and that expression of interest was finalized with a template that we allocate a parcel to you, you come and develop it, and you and the government jointly sell and share the proceeds.
“That proceed will be shared in a fashion where our partner is able to recover its invested funds and whatever margin that has been agreed with our property investment corporation and of course government on its part is able to realize that much that accrues to it from what would have been the sale of the land,” he said.
The immediate past Special Adviser and General Manager of the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation (OPIC); Mr. Abiodun Fari disclosed that the state government is looking at the next nine months for the delivery of the units under construction.
He added that phase one of the project would be used to unlock the value of land in the estate.
Breaking: Speaker Obasa Debunks Allegation Of Spending N17b On Assembly Gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday described the allegation that the House spent N17 billion on the fixing of a gate as spurious and funny.
A self-proclaimed group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, had accused the Assembly of spending the amount to construct a gate. The group also sought investigation of the claim.
Speaking at plenary, Dr. Obasa said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over 2027 which is still more than two years away.
Obasa further debunked the claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd thanksgiving service for staff.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.
“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday and dignitaries from various parts of the State attended it,” the Speaker said.
Addressing further claims by the group about the alleged relationship between him and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, the Speaker denied attending the latter’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.
“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.
“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker said.
Earlier, the House, through its spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, had addressed the allegations noting that the Assembly bases its activities on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“It is ludicrous the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko as claimed by the group.
“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.
“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.
“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education, moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” the earlier statement by Ogundipe read.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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