Press Releases

Fashola Empowers 22,000 Allottees Of Government Estates To Regularise Titles
…Says drastically reduced charge to help awaken dead assets

Mar 18, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday empowered 22,000 allottees of government housing estates spread across the State to own their properties by replacing their allocation papers with title deeds that are stamped, registered and traceable after paying prescribed concessionary fees .

According to Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa during the second stakeholders meeting on Documentation/Registration of Sub-leases by Allotees of State Government Housing Agencies, all allottees who received their letters of allocation on or before 31st December1999 would benefit from the exercise.

Governor Fashola informed that all allotees whose houses are within Estates for low income earners would pay a sum of N10,000 only, those within the medium income group would pay N15,000 while those within high income Estates would pay a sum of 20,000 to obtain the title deeds and register same at the Lands registry.

He added that under the initiative, the forms and the sub-lease documents are to be obtained free at the housing agency(Ministry of Housing(MOH), Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) or Lagos Building Investment Corporation(LBIC) where the allottee bought the property or the agency currently managing the particular estate.

He told the gathering that the concession period for registration is ninety days starting from the commencement of implementation of the initiative which is April 15th to July 15th 2010.

The Governor explained that the allottees that Government is offering the reduction in payable fees are those who have had their allocations for several years with some like the Akerele, Bank Olemoh and Surulere Schemes having their allocations for over 50 years without perfecting the titles.

In his words: “What we are here to do today is to wake up your dead assets, put them in the prescribed form, transfer them from mere allocation letters to title deeds that are stamped, registered and traceable, that will create collateral and bring you to a new world of wealth”.

He said several times, many of the allottees have tried to raise money to finance their business, buy a car or even another home or discharge some financial commitment only to be told by the bank, financial institution or creditor that they had no collateral.

According to the Governor: “The truth is that while those creditors are correct, it does not mean that you are poor or not worthy of credit. It simply means that your assets, your shops, your flats and other landed property are not held in the prescribed forms that the bank will accept. So, your assets are in a manner of speaking, dead”.

He recalled that upon assumption of office in 2007, the government embarked upon a two pronged project, that is ‘Title Documentation and Registration of the Titles of all Allottees in Government Housing Schemes in Lagos State’.

He added that the first phase which has since been completed involved harmonizing the processes of Perfection of Sub-lease title documents issued to allottees of housing estates in all Government Housing Estates in Lagos in order to create a uniform procedure and to encompass the usual rights of parties in the documents of Title issued to the Allottees.

Governor Fashola said Government decided to embark upon the second phase of the initiative to encourage the allottees to come forward, obtain their title deeds and register such at the Lands Registry at a considerably reduced lumpsum payment.

While stressing that there are no hidden charges, the Governor urged allottees not to make any other payment except the concessionary lump sum stated to apply to each class of estate.

Governor Fashola who also fielded questions from some of the allottees of government houses who were present at the occasion while addressing the fears expressed by a representative of Oke-Afa Estate about releasing the original letters of allocation said the letters would only be sighted for the registration process and returned to the owners.

In his response to a question on whether allottees who have already liquidated their mortgages should still continue with insurance payment on the buildings, Governor Fashola advised that since insurance clauses in most contractual agreements are permanent and that accidents can happen at any time, it is advisable that the allottees continue to pay the premium which is quite small compared to the risk involved in not having a property insured.

Governor Fashola was also certain that residents of Ayangburen Estate in Ikorodu who complained of water shortage would soon have a relief with the successful commissioning of the 12 megawatt Iju Independent Power Plant, the Iju and Adiyan Water works which now pumps 100 million gallons of water a day.

He said in addition to this, the State Government has already handed over four mini water works with a capacity to deliver two million gallons of water each in addition to another five on which work have been concluded. The Governor informed that work is also going on to improve reticulation to houses so that potable water can be available to the generality of the people.

Governor Fashola also said the Government is intervening in some of the estates in terms of beautification because it wanted to show the people the model of what housing estates should be like.

Also addressing the gathering, Commissioner for Housing, Mr Dele Onabokun assured all allottees who had previously processed their sub-lease and paid need not pay for the new ones but should only register.

On the issue of Ilasan and Ikota Estates residents who said they are at a loss at what fate would befall then with the new arrangement since all that they have is letters of allocation, the Managing Director of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC),Mr Abiodun Oki said the ilasan and Ikota estates were used to settle Maroko evictees and were released by government gazette, stating that the allottees should also participate to standardize the documents.

Speaking earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands, Mr Aina Salami had intimated the audience with the several processes that each allottee is expected to fulfill before perfecting the title to the property.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau, Mr Gbenga Ashafa said the event was aimed at encouraging allottees to obtain their title deeds and register them at an affordable concessionary rate.

The event had in attendance members of the State Executive Council and residents of the various housing estates.