By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
There seemed to be no end soon to the raging scandal rocking the Ogun State Government housing scheme as the over 200 aggrieved subscribers /applicants for apartments within the Prince Court Estate, Kobape, appeared to be spoiling for war with Dapo Abiodun – led administration in the state for allegedly shortchanging them.
The subscribers, who had earlier cried out to the world over what they considered as inability or unwillingness of the state ministry of housing to allocate houses to them over two years after they had all paid for allocations, are now demanding only shelter and nothing else.
The disillusioned and frustrated applicants are equally rejecting any move or proposal by the state government to refund money or engage in price variation for the property paid, even as they’re calling on well meaning Nigerians and activists to come to their aid and save them from “daylight robbery.”
This was contained in statement on Monday evening, June 17, by Adeyemi Aremu, the representative of the Qualified Applicants for Prince Court Estate, Kobape, Ogun State and made available to The Daily Crucible.
However, rattled by the earlier report on the matter by The Daily Crucible, the state government on Thursday night, June 13, through a statement by the Commissioner for Housing, Jàgunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi, blamed the present galloping inflation in the country for the delayed allocation.
The state government also noted that the market value of the property had astronomically gone up as high as N20m as against the N5.5m paid by the applicants, stressing that it had immediately activated stakeholders’ meetings to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
But the subscribers who are not ready to hear or entertain such excuse, have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to instruct the ministry of Housing to fulfill its part of the bargain and promptly allocate the houses paid for, to them without further delay.
“What we paid for is 2 bungalow semi-detached shell house which is to be roofed, plastered outside with external casement windows, entrance and exit doors, painted outside with grey color exactly as allocated to both phase 1 and 2,” he stated.
The full statement reads: “We once again wish to set the records straight and let the Dapo Abiodun led government in Ogun state and the ministry of Housing be aware that we would vehemently reject their proposal to refund or increase the price of shelter in the Prince Court Estate, after meeting our side of the bargain. It should be noted that the transaction in itself is a concluded deal, since about 3 years ago.
The agreement was to buy forms for the allocations for five thousand naira (₦5,000) with each house costing five million five hundred thousand naira only (₦5,500,000) and a rebate for retired civil servants who were asked to pay four million nine hundred and fifty thousand naira only (₦4,950,000) which were duly paid for in year 2020 and 2021 respectively *(we were persuaded none of the categories stated above made full payment in 2022 to start with)*
While some paid outrightly or in two instalments, others made their payment through the Gateway Mortgage Bank, owned by Ogun State government and names of over 200 qualified applicants were approved which was pasted since then, no allocation has been made by the State government despite their threat deadline date for full payment
What then could be the excuse 3 years after?, we have fulfilled our own part of the bargain that we have duly paid, Are we the ones responsible for the delay? It is quite clear that government’s abandonment, delay and non allocation on time caused the price variation, thus the Dapo Abiodun led Administration should take responsibility for its failure to meet their side of the bargain.
It would interest you to know that all applicants paid at the same time and we were divided into 3 phases based on criteria known to them, while 2 phases had been given shelter, all of us in this 3rd category are yet to receive any allocation despite paying at the same time frame. Why should we be exempted for this kind of punishment and recklessness?
While no stakeholders meeting has been called, any increment from 5.5 million naira to 20 million naira as proposed by the ministry for housing or refund at this time would amount to fraud, arm twisting and cheating, which in no small measure would reduce the confidence and trust in the government of Ogun State.
It is on this note we are appealing to Governor Dapo Abiodun to instruct the ministry of Housing to fulfill its part of the bargain and promptly allocate the houses paid for, to us without further delay. What we paid for is 2 bungalow semi-detached shell house which is to be roofed, plastered outside with external casement windows, entrance and exit doors, painted outside with grey color exactly as allocated to both phase 1 and 2.
While we call on well spirited Nigerians, activists, the media and other stakeholders to come to our aid and save us from this daylight robbery, we also call on the Gateway Mortgage Bank to protect the interests of its clients and ensure we receive our houses as promised in no distant time.
This Press release became necessary in reaction to the statement of the commissioner for Housing in Ogun State, Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi who debunked an alleged scandal in the housing scheme, specifically that of Prince Court Estate, Kobape, Abeokuta embarked upon by the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun.
The Commissioner, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta on Thursday explained that the issue surrounding the delay in the allocation of the property to various applicants was caused by the present galloping inflation in the country, which subsequently necessitated little variations in the price of the property, adding that the market value of the property has astronomically gone up as high as N20m as against the N5.5m paid by the applicants, noting that government had immediately activated stakeholders’ meetings to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
“Consequently, the Government plans to engage all the applicants through various stakeholders’ meetings, as there will be an adjustment in the price of the property.
The commissioner’s reaction was due to our earlier statement accusing that over 200 qualified applicants who are seeking to own houses in the Ogun State government scheme named Prince Court Estate, Kobape under the Dapo Abiodun led government were not allocated any shelter since 3 years after payment”
