The Lagos State Government on Tuesday appealed to allottees of its housing estates to complete payments on their homes or forfeit ownership rights as indicated in their letters of allocation.
Adeola Salako, Spokesperson, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, in a statement, said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Wasiu Akewusola, made the appeal to beneficiaries of its outright sales arrangements.
Akewusola, while inspecting ongoing housing schemes in Sangotedo and Epe axis of the state, said the state government’s revenue had dwindled due to lack of commitment to debt obligations.
He said: “Government’s revenue has been greatly affected by defaulters in some of our existing estates.
“Many have failed to pay up their outstanding in spite of government’s magnanimity in extending the period of grace beyond the statutory 90 days.
“This would serve as a final appeal to all defaulters at Mobolaji Johnson Estate, Lekki; Baba Omojola Housing Estate, Gbagada; Shasha Millennium Housing Estate, Shasha; Emeka Anyaokwu Housing, GRA Ikeja; Ibeshe Millennium Housing, Ibeshe; Oke–Eletu Housing, Oke-Eletu; and Ojokoro Housing Estate, Ojokoro, as several entreaties and appeals have failed.”
Akewusola said letters of offer for units were issued to beneficiaries only after they had consented to the terms and conditions given by the state government.
He added that the conditions included forfeiture of homes in case of non-completion of payments at an agreed date.
He advised defaulters to ensure that full payments were made with bank drafts after due clearance and bills had been obtained from the ministry’s estate department.
Akewusola added that the bill must be issued before lodgement of the bank drafts to the designated banks.
The permanent secretary said that a task force from the Ministry would soon visit the defaulters on a debt or housing units’ recovery exercise as the case may be.
Akewusola urged beneficiaries of State Housing Estates yet to receive Letters of Confirmation/Deed of Sub-lease from the Ministry or completed their payments to visit the Estate Department of the Ministry in Alausa.
He noted that their verification status could be gotten from the ministry and called for support to government’s efforts to ensure it built more homes and created more opportunities of home ownership.
He seized the opportunity to reiterate the commitment of government to provide affordable and quality homes to bridge the housing deficit in the state.