We are builders and not demolishers – Fashola

By Jude Njoku

…Inspects ongoing housing schemes at Agbowa, others

Determined to ensure early completion of ongoing housing projects in Lagos State, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, last week undertook an inspection tour of some housing projects sited in different parts of the state.

The estates are located at Agbowa Township in the Old Epe Local Government Area, Sangotedo, in Eti-Osa,   Ogba, in Ikeja and Ajara in Badagry.

The estates at Agbowa include Chois City Garden, a partnership project between a private developer  and State Government and Agbowa Housing Units being developed by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, MPPUD.

Fashola during inspection of housing projects in Lagos, last week

Specifically, the Agbowa Housing Estate is a 660- unit mixed accommodation along Agbowa-Shagamu Road. The estate is just beside the Resettlement Centre for those displaced by flood and other natural disasters in the State.

A breakdown of the different house types shows that there are 80 blocks of  single bedroom units totalling 192 units in all; two-bedroom (21 blocks) of 252 units; 3-bed rooms (26 blocks) of 156 units and (15 blocks) of 60 units.

Built in a parcel of land measuring about 11,883.74 acres,  the estate is designed to have a shopping complex, playing ground, boreholes, sewage plant and wire mess’ perimeter fence.

On its part, Chois City Estate, located at Imufe-Imope road, along Itoikin-Epe road, comprises two and three-bedroom flats.

In all, 3000 housing units would  be built at the site.  400 of these units would be ceded to the Lagos government to accommodate the saw millers displaced at Okobaba in the Ebute Metta area of the city..

Governor Fashola who spoke after the inspection, said his government is also building housing estates at Sangotedo in Eti-Osa and Ogba in Ikeja.

“We are building over 400 housing units here, (Igando), we are building another 400 plus in Ogba, about 500 in Sangotedo and over 600 in Agbowa,” he said, adding that another scheme will soon be flagged of at  Ajara in Badagry.

The Governor who stated that another 1008 housing units has being built at Ijora declared: “ We are builders and not demolishers. We are focused; we know where the target is.”

According to him,  “The present administration is not made up of showmen. We don’t do turning of the sod. We take our work seriously and this is the work that this new team has put together in one and half years since we got elected. We have not been here but we know the work is going on” .

Continuing, he said: “All those turning of the sod before you build the house are not for us. You can see structures, you can see buildings, you can see people on all those sites where houses are being constructed. In Igbogbo, 1,038 people were working as well as 26 companies while in the first scheme in Agbowa there are about 23 companies and 880 people who have been employed”.

There is another contractor who is using a different model at the Agbowa- Ikosi area for the 144 units. You saw people at the construction site. You see people here dredging and you can see people here working.  So that is what is important”.