Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that the vision of his administration is taking shape with the urban renewal initiative across major towns in the state.
Abiodun, who disclosed this when he visited government houses around the Government Reservation Area, Abeokuta, said housing projects initiated by his administration had added lustre and beauty to all major cities across the state.
He said the housing initiatives in Kobape, Iperu, Ijebu Ode and Ilaro had transformed the areas and they are, consequently, now being referred to as smart cities.
The governor spoke on the urban renewal scheme of his administration as the first phase of 35 houses are completed at the Ibara Government Reservation Area, Abeokuta.
Speaking during the inspection of the project site, Governor Abiodun said his administration is determined to turn GRAs, which he described as the state’s treasure, to what they should be.
Abiodun decried the deplorable condition of the State GRAs which he said had become slums and unfit for humana to live in.
He said: “We began to carry out urban renewal projects in Abeokuta, the state capital, in phases with three hectares of land. The first phase has 30-35 houses and what we have done is exemplary.
“The construction is done by our artisans which is of course another way of creating employment. The houses are affordable despite their high quality. This project presents a new face of Abeokuta.”
The governor expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far and noted that though work is still in progress, drainages, sidewalks, solar street lights, electricity and water reticulation are already in place.
He said: “You can see that the designs are very pleasing to the eyes and the completion is also commendable. This project is not executed by foreign contractor and it is not even in contract but constructed by direct labour to ensure that our citizens who are artisans like painters, bricklayers, carpenters, welders participate in this construction.”
Governor Abiodun commended the Commissioner for Housing and his team for implementing his vision, saying “if you have a vision and there is no team, that is up scratch in terms of implementation. As we envisioned, the team has worked hand in gloves with us and the result is as clear as the day”.
“Abeokuta is the capital of the Gateway State and everything we do must be of Ogun standard. These structures can be compared to any structure you see anywhere in the world and I believe we have done this to future bring more people to come and live in Abeokuta,” he said.
While assuring that similar project would be duplicated in other GRAs in Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ota, Prince Abiodun affirmed the continued conversion of the push to pull factor from Lagos, saying his administration believes that it would bring in more people to come, live and invest in Ogun State.
At the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate, along Kobape Road, Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun noted that the project was inherited from the previous administration but lamented that it was fraught with litigations which his administration successfully settled out of of court.
Abiodun, who described the project as noble and meant to provide decent accomodation to the people at a location that typifies Abeokuta, said the initiative could not be abandoned as the state’s commonwealth was expended on it.
He said: “We broke down the construction of the estate into phases, we had to redesign the estate so that in can be functional. We reallocated and adjusted the plot sizes and today, we have about 116 houses of different types of fully detached and semi-detached houses which are of high quality and can be compared to an estate that is befitting anywhere in the world.
” The semi-detached houses are four bedrooms each, all ensuite with a boys quarters, a private sitting room upstairs with a drive in that can take about four cars. The free detached houses have the same with a study and an attached boys quarters.
“We are struggling to manage the level of interest in the estate. Our sons and daughters in the diaspora are sending deposits to subscribe to the houses. Top company executives in Lagos and Abuja are coming in their numbers to pay for these properties. We are now trying to roll out the second phase so that we can meet with the demands.”
He said the take over of the estate by his administration is a demonstration that government is a continuum and projects that have direct impact on the people should not be abandoned due to personal differences.
“I saw beyond personality, I saw in the collective commonwealth of the state that had been put into it. I saw the benefits that this estate will provide for the sons and daughters of Ogun State and all those who have decided to make the state their home and we decided to tackle all the issues and today, we have a first class estate,” he said.
He called on prospective buyers to take advantage of the low prices to buy theirs, as the prices may go up as a result of inflation.
Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Akande Omoniyi, said the Ibara Government Reservation Area Renewal project is meant to modernize the old and abandoned housing estate that was built in 1976 at the creation of the state.
He said four clusters are currently working on the site while the first badge of about 200 duplexes are ready for commissioning in the next two months, while others would be ready by December this year.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Prince Faruq Adenugba, appreciated the governor for putting up sure a magnificent estate, which he noted would signpost Abeokuta, calling on people to subscribe to them while the prices are still affordable.
