The Director-General and Special Adviser to Ogun State’s Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Lands, Biyi Ismail has disclosed that out of about 150, 000 applicants that applied for the state’s Homeowners Charter programme, only 70, 000 were qualified and would have their C of O issued to them.
Ismail disclosed this while playing host to members of the Assembly Committee on Lands and Housing led by Hon. Adebiyi Adeleye on the assessment of the agency’s 2017 budget performance.
The DG explained that most of the complaints received were from the unqualified applicants who built Estates, erected structures on rail and pipe lines, buildings on government acquired land and some religious buildings all hiding under home owner charter scheme which was basically put in place for indigent citizens to possess land title documents at a reduced fee.
To further make land title and other related issues hitch free, Ismail said that efforts were in top gear to redesign the existing Geographical Information System with a robust and sustainable system to centrally manage land and all related activities that would outlive the present administration.
He explained that with the improvement on the GIS, the implementation of a functional base map of the State would be easier as proper and comprehensive land information system would be electronically documented to last generations.
Responding, Hon. Adeleye challenged the agency to step up efforts at ensuring a more coordinated and effective data management of land related documents in line with international standard practices for effective service delivery.
He also commended the Bureau for its resolve to ensure that all issues relating to the home owner charter programme raised by applicants are addressed.
In a related development, the State House of Assembly has tasked the State Housing Corporation to explore the opportunities abound in Public Private Partnership (PPP) to extend low cost housing projects to rural areas in the State for the benefit of the indigent citizens.
Packaged by Azeez Ayansola
