By Monsurudeen Olowoopejo
The Lagos State Government has threatened to retrieve it’s houses from occupants that have continuously defaulted in payment of their service charges, engaging in power theft through bypass of electric meters and participating in cult activities within the public estates.
Meanwhile, as a measure to sustain the serene atmosphere around public estates in Lagos, the Government has cautioned allottees to desist from erecting unapproved structures that often distort master plans of its public homes across the state.
The Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, disclosed this on Thursday during the ministerial briefing held in Ikeja to commemorate the first anniversary of the second term in office of Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Akinderu-Fatai noted that the threat was issued after investigation revealed that some residents of the state’s estates do not comply with the extant rules put in place to promote peaceful coexistence of all allottees within the homes.
Such infractions, according to him, include non-payment of Service charges, bypass of electric meters and cult activities.
He added: “The State Government has resolved to act resolutely by revoking the allocations of allottees who do not comply with agreements signed at the point of release of homes”.
On the distortion of estates master plans, the commissioner noted that the allottees contravene the estates original master plans through various alterations, modifications and adjustments that were never approved by the government.
According to him, the Ministry is in the process of reverting to the original master plans and that steps would be taken to notify the perpetrators and seal the properties affected.
Akinderu-Fatai also revealed that the old estates are being re- evaluated with a plan to restore their infrastructure and maximize the available lands for greater home yield.
He, however, listed some of the challenges facing the Ministry as encroachments on state owned land for housing projects, litigations, slow pace of work by joint venture partners, issues related to allocation of the homes due to its limited number, inflationary trends and challenges with recalcitrant allottees and residents.
