Lagos State government has expressed worry over sustainability breaches in its housing estates, warning residents of such estates for failure to secure and maintain the estates’ infrastructure.
The worry and the warning followed the vandalisation of facilities, including cables, generators and electrical panels by vandals and robbers at Abiodun Ogunleye Housing Estate, Igbogbo.
Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, the state’s Commissioner for Housing, who gave this warning, said sanctions would be applied in cases where residents do not conform with rules and regulations put in place for the sustainability of their estates.
The commissioner who was dismayed at the level of destruction at the estate noted that the criminal act done by the vandals was a great setback and a major distraction to the state government’s intervention in housing provision, lamenting that government’s gesture in providing subsidized homes for low-income earners has not been positively reciprocated by the residents.
“This action, at a time like this, shows that some citiz
ens do not have a clear understanding of the state’s passion for provision of decent housing for the people. The fund that will be used to replace these items will definitely reduce the number of homes to be provided for others,” he added.
According to the commissioner, the security breach in the estate was as a result of indifference and apathy on the part of residents, saying the vandals must have taken a long time to unearth the cables, cut and cart them away.
It was reported that many of the residents have refused to pay monthly facilities management fees, and also brought in tenants that were threats to the security of the estate. For that reason, the commissioner said that “henceforth, anyone that refuses to pay facility maintenance fees or lease his allocation to miscreants will face ejection.”
According to him, the state government would not hesitate to take back allocation of allottees who insisted on not paying maintenance fees in contravention of Article 6 of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the state government.
“Refusal to pay facility maintenance fee means you are willingly forfeiting the right of ownership,” he said, frowning at those who rented out their apartments against the intention of the government to provide homes for only those in need of accommodation and not property speculators.
He warned that those who let out their homes to internet fraudsters, cultists and people of questionable characters risked losing such allocations if the allegations were sufficiently proved.
Abdulhafis Gbolahan Toriola, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, said the facility management fee was mandatory for all residents to sustain security personnel, refuse disposal, lighting of streetlights, cleaning and sanitation of jointly owned facilities.
He pointed out that to ensure transparency and accountability, the fund was managed by the representatives of Residents Association, Ministry of Housing and the Facility Manager.
“Facility management is critical in ensuring that infrastructural facilities provided in an estates work perfectly and constantly. Hence, the state government will not compromise the sustainability of its estate by not sanctioning defaulters,” he said..
The Permanent Secretary implored the Residents Association to always give the ministry information on those harbouring criminals in the estate in the interest of the safety and well-being of all. He charged homeowners to take full responsibility of the estate’s infrastructure.
