By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State who is currently in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj, has met with the board and management of a major property development firm to discuss possible ways of partnering on housing scheme in Lagos.

The meeting to which the Governor led some state government officials comprising the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Rotimi Oyekan and his Home Affairs and Culture counterpart, Alhaji Tunde Balogun was convened to review progress report on the company’s planned housing development in Lagos.

Fashola said he looked forward to the take off of the project, noting that he could only see the immense possibilities and not problems.

According to him, “Lagos State Government-backed housing projects have always been well received by the public and investors are sure of a reasonable and timely return on their investment.”

He said the developers would be expected to help provide a mortgage or similar payment plan in order to ensure broad based accessibility to the project.

Fashola promised to champion prompt response to all the administrative and diplomatic protocols necessary to facilitate the commencement of the project.

Giving a progress report earlier, Chairman of the firm’s Board, Dr Sultan Abdullah Bahabri said his company had put the project on fast track with the consultants and contractors already chosen, adding that the state and local host community stood to benefit a lot from the project because an entire industry wuld be created to manufacture components to be used at the estates being developed which could serve the entire West African sub region.

According to Dr Bahabri, the level of confidence which his organization has in the administration of Governor Fashola can be seen in the fact that it chose to invest in Lagos over a country like Jordan.

The meeting which had in attendance top level Board members and Partners of the Saudi Arabia based firm also had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Mecca, Mr Abdullah Al-Faez.