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Sanwo-Olu’s Housing Scheme Benefits 492 Families

Published

4 years ago

February 1, 2020

Editor

It was all outpouring of emotions and joy, on Friday, at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Alausa on Friday when Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presented keys to beneficiaries of his administration’s maiden rent-to-own housing scheme.

Governor Sanwo-Olu allotted all the apartments of the Lateef Kayode Jakande Housing Estate in Igando to 492 families certified by the State’s Mortgage Board to benefit from the scheme. The allocation came four months after the housing estate was completed by the Sanwo-Olu administration.

A 56-year-old widow, Mrs. Fatimat Kosoko, betrayed emotion as her name was being announced to benefit in the scheme.

The mother of four, who is a staff of the Ministry of Education, said the scheme had brought a “huge relief” to her family, eight years after she had been struggling to provide decent accommodation for her children, following husband’s demise. She got a 40 per cent rebate on the monthly payment to service the mortgage.

Sanwo-Olu described the development as “a promise kept ahead of time”, noting that his administration’s modified rent-to-own housing scheme took off earlier than expected.

The Governor reiterated that provision of decent homes for a large number of residents across the State remained a key thrust of his administration’s social intervention scheme, stressing that his Government had introduced a simple mortgage model to expand the opportunity to low-income families.

He said: “We cannot overemphasise how critical housing is to all residents. We made a promise that we will deliver decent homes to our people. For us to start fulfilling this promise earlier than we predicted, it shows the credibility and our readiness to stand with our pledges to Lagosians. It’s a promise kept ahead of time.

“Therefore, it is with great pleasure to hand over keys to apartments of Lateef Kayode Jakande Gardens to all beneficiaries selected by the Mortgage Board. Shelter, as we all know, is critical to fulfilling all other activities of life. Home ownership is a mark of great accomplishment, especially in city like Lagos. My joy knows no bound as ordinary people now boast of owning decent homes under my administration.”

The Governor said the delivery of affordable housing to low-income residents underscored “irrevocable commitment” of his administration to actualise its agenda of building a 21st century economy and attaining ‘Greater Lagos’.

Sanwo-Olu promised that his Government would continue to make more impacts through social intervention schemes, pledging that other ongoing housing projects would be completed.

He also said the welfare of the State workers would be a priority of his administration, disclosing that he had directed the Ministry of Housing to reserve 10 per cent of the properties developed by the Government for civil servant to keep them committed to the service of the State.

The Governor advised those who missed out in the maiden housing scheme not to lose hope; their applications, he said, would be re-considered in the subsequent schemes coming later in the year

Sanwo-Olu urged the allottes to take ownership of the Estate by maintaining all facilities provided in the Estate.

Commissioner for Housing, Hon. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said all housing schemes initiated by the previous administrations were being speedily worked on for completion on the order of the Governor.

He disclosed that the Government would be delivering additional 360 homes in Igbogbo, 744 homes in Sangotedo, 660 homes in Agbowa and 680 apartments in Egan Igando.

He said: “We are working on innovative strategies, which will enable us use technology to reduce time of construction, increase quality of homes and reduce the cost of building to make the housing scheme more affordable.”

He said the the Sanwo-Olu administration’s modified rent-to-own scheme had given relief to applicants by making them pay 5 per cent commitment fee and spread the balance on monthly basis for over a period of 10 years.

Akinderu-Fatai said the housing scheme was conceived with the objective to create first-time home owners within the next four years.

A beneficiary, Sonoiki Idowu, who was once one-day Governor in Lagos, could not hide his joy after being presented with the key to his apartment.

He said: “I’m coming from a background where we can’t afford to rent a good apartment, much less buying a home. Today, I can say I have owned a decent home. May God bless Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for this wonderful housing programme.”

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

7 days ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”