By Our Reporter
Over 200 qualified applicants who are seeking to own houses in a state government housing scheme named Prince Court Estate.
The yellow roof housing project is located at the Kobape junction of the Abeokuta – Kobape – Siun corridor of Abeokuta – Sagamu expressway, Ogun State .
Groaning from alleged deprivation of shelter nearing two years after subscription with payment, the affected subscribers have accused the Ogun State Government led by Prince Dapo Abiodun of receiving the payment without allocating any house to them since 2022.
The representative of the group, Adeyemi Aremu in Abeokuta, who recalled that the housing scheme was sold to them by the Ogun State ministry of Housing, said the applicants of the third phase of the scheme sought to become owners of 2 bedroom bungalows in the estate, and have paid but without allocation to any of the properties.
He said, the forms for the allocations were purchased in 2022 for five thousand naira (₦5,000) and each house costs five million five hundred thousand naira only (₦5,500,000) with a rebate for retired civil servants who were asked to pay four million nine hundred and fifty thousand naira only (₦4,950,000).
Aremu explained that some paid outrightly or on two instalments while others made their payment through the Gateway Mortgage Bank, owned by Ogun State government.
Aremu who showed various receipts to prove his case said, names of over 200 qualified applicants were approved and pasted and since then, no allocation has been made by the State government.
Disillusioned Aremu said, the need to cry out was necessitated by the fact that the Dapo Abiodun led government has not fulfilled it’s part of the promise despite paying for the shelter.
He said the frustrated subscribers are equally palpably worried over rumours rife in Abeokuta, the state capital and beyond that Governor Dapo Abiodun is planning to increase the price of the shelter or give the available 100 uncompleted semi-detached 2 bedroom bungalow carcass to civil servants who were evicted from the Ibara government quarters at the expense of those who have fully paid to the ministry of Housing.
According to him, ” It is sad that the Gateway Mortgage bank has not protected their clients or try to get the shelter for them even as many are still paying mortgage with interests till date. The whole process is so discouraging especially for those Ogun people who showed interest to invest in the state and purchased the shelter. Now it is looking like fraud by the state government”.
“With the arrangement, some people paid outrightly or on two instalments while others remit on instalments with interest when equity of at least 30 percent contribution is made to the mortgage bank. Immediately we have an agreement with the Gateway Mortgage bank, the houses are supposed to be allocated to us. The bank would pay outrightly, while we would remit on instalments with interests.
“All over the world when you access a mortgage loan through a mortgage bank before you begin the repayment/interest one would have taken possession of the property at least a year, but we don’t know what is the case Ogun State’s own.
“What then could be the excuse after we have fulfilled our own part of the bargain?” he asked.
All attempts to speak with the Commissioner for Housing, Mr Jamiu Omoniyi, have not been successful but his reaction is been expected and will be reflected when it comes.
