By Joseph Ihembu

Group Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer, Gasvine Properties Limited, Dr. Godwin Oziele, has called for the need for effective mortgage as a lasting solution to the challenges of house deficit.

He made the call during the foundation laying of one of the company’s properties, ‘Dreamland Garden Estate’, in Mowe Ofada, Ogun State.

Describing the difficulty faced by average Nigerians to becoming landlords as a harsh condition, the estate valuer said the housing mortgage system, as obtained elsewhere in the globe, would mitigate their sufferings.

Noting that housing was one of the basic needs of man, Oziele, however, lamented that attaining one had become a herculean task because of the amount involved.

In a move to assist low income earners achieve one of their lifetime dreams of owning a property, he revealed that Gasvine Properties Limited decided to map out strategies to attain it.

Revealing the strategy , he said: ““I know that housing has eluded some people as they could not afford to get one because of the huge amount involved in real estate, unlike other basic needs of life. For example, with just N1,000 you can feed but that is not the same with housing.

“For us, we want to ensure that the low and middle income earners can also get this basic need of life. Some people lived up till 70-years and more without having a roof over their heads. We are here to stop this, by looking at these categories of people to help.

“Despite the fact that what we are building is of high standard which is supposed to be for the rich, we want the poor to also enjoy it. We want to make it so affordable that the okada riders, artisans and low salary earners can be part of what we are doing. They can start from the level they are; with payment as low as N20,000 monthly, until they are through with the payment. People are buying our properties with payment as low as N1,000, everyday.

“ On the other hand, we are gradually coming up with what we call ‘The Most Beautiful Garden’ (MBG), which is going to be for the super rich. But for now, we want the low income earners to also get their own properties.”

While urging the Federal Government to ensure that adequate infrastructure were put in place to make life easy for the common Nigerians , the Gasvine boss said, “ although most government come on board with genuine plans and desires to provide housing for its citizens through numerous plans for low cost houses , but the challenge is that at the end of the day, the whole process is politicised. A house that is meant for the masses to buy, ends up being bought by one person who will re-sell them , while the main people the buildings were meant for will not be able to afford it anymore.

“My advice however to Nigerians is that they should not wait for the government before they identify with what we are doing in our company. If one earns N100,000 monthly, he can drop N20,000 every month as payment and before two years, he will own a property of his”, he said .