By Kingsley Adegboye

Speculative land holders at Lekki Peninsula Scheme 11 may have their plots confiscated by the Lagos State Government. Already, government is set to carry out verification of plot owners in the scheme to determine true allottees from speculators with a view to confiscating plots of speculative land holders.

Governor Babatunde Fashola who dropped this hint last week during the commissioning of nine roads at the Lekki phase 11 scheme said: ”those who are just speculative holders will have their plots taken from them and sold to genuine prospective home owners”.

He therefore appealed to plots owners in the scheme to immediately commence the development of their plots to justify the  state’s huge infrastructure investment in terms of road network,drainage system, street lighting and others in the upcoming residential estate.

The scheme which was designed in 1996 with a land area of 514.53 hectares, has 3,095 residential plots, 64 commercial plots, 47 mixed development plots, 26 institutional plots and 17 recreational plots.

Fashola noted that Lekki Peninsula Scheme II is one of such schemes designed to satisfy the yearning of the people for plots of land to build personal houses and that all the plots have been fully allocated more than a decade ago.

The Governor who observed that some allottees are gradually moving into the scheme, implored others to move in quickly to commence development of their plots according to the terms spelt out in their allocation letters or risk revocation of the allocation.

Fashola who disclosed that the Oba Elegushi Housing Estate was deliberately sited in the scheme as part of government’s efforts to attract people to the area, however  wondered whether someone who had allocation for about twenty years and did nothing to take physical possession should be seen as one who required it for development or as a land speculator.

According to him, the micro-water work that will supply potable water to the scheme had been completed and commissioned in 2002 while substantial work has been done on the electrification project of the scheme. Specifically, he mentioned the erection and reticulation of the electric poles, the street lights and the installation of transformers have been done.

Speaking earlier, the General Manager, New Towns Development Authority, Dr. Adeyemi Isiba commended the governor for his passion and aggressive pursuit of the development of the scheme which he opined will act as catalyst for the movement of allottees into the scheme to develop their plots.

Isiba noted that, the ever increasing population of Lagos State has continuously put pressure on the state government to provide land for people to build houses and hinted that the Lagos State Government through the New Towns Development Authority will soon open new schemes in the state.

The new schemes according to him are Iberekodo Industrial Town, Ibeju Coastal City and Ibeju Mixed Development scheme all in Ibeju Lekki Local Government area; Meghoto City, Oba Akran City, Suntan Beach scheme and Iya-Afin scheme located in Badagry and Ilu-Tuntun scheme, Ikorodu.

The General Manager appealed to allottees in all schemes in the state to pay their Capital Development Levy as and when due to encourage the state government to provide necessary infrastructure in the relevant schemes to facilitate construction and occupation of the schemes in good time.