Oyo State Housing Corporation on Thursday appealed to all the residents of Bodija Estate and other estate of the corporation to pay their ground rent promptly to avoid legal action.
The Chairman of the corporation, Barrister Bayo Lawal, who stated this while addressing journalists shortly after leading a task force of the corporation to seal offices and homes of some adamant occupants of the corporation’s properties, said the ground rent debt being owed the organization is about one billion naira.
“As a matter of fact, the money out there is about ₦800m and I need to transform Bodija. Not only the headquarters here but also the roads and the drainages are calling for repairs and renovations.”
The task force, which took off from the corporation’s headquarters around 10am, was led by the Chairman, the General Manager and the Director of Information and Public Relations, Barrister Kunle Sanni, among others.
Some of the debtor occupants of Bodija Estate visited included GQ Club owing ₦1.3m, Labod Hotel owing ₦1.9m, Uncle ‘B’ Bread owing #1.6m and 411 Hotel with debt of ₦1.5m.
Others include Education Advancement Centre with ₦2.5m debt, Ogunsanya J. A – ₦1.8m, Pentorise – ₦2.2m, Delekit Olagunju – ₦1.6m.
Barrister Lawal who noted that Housing Corporation is a legal entity that generates its own revenue for developmental purpose, said he spent a lot to clear drainages in Adeyi and Asuntokun, among others last year.
“By April/May, we will be in raining season and I have to do my duties to clear drainages, to repair roads and to put electricity on the street. And I have on the residents, I have summoned Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA) to tell them the plight of the Housing Corporation in terms of nonpayment of their ground rent. I held meetings with them, not once, not twice. As a matter of fact they offered to assist, but as I speak to you they haven’t assisted. But I don’t want to wait for anybody’s assistance. I can assist myself together with my colleagues in the Housing Corporation.” Lawal stated.
Other debtors who are owing Housing Corporation huge amount of money include De Executive Suites with debt of ₦4.1m, Rofel Hotel – ₦4.4m and Saint Vincent Medical Centres – ₦2.9m.
“That’s why I decided to embark on massive revenue generation within the metropolis, Bodija Estate. We have other estates around but I’m just starting. From time to time, I will be going out to lock up offices and shops for nonpayment of ground rent, and I mean it. We cannot depend on government for everything. People must discharge their obligations to institutions, and I know that our people are not willing to that. So we must force them to do it. I’m prepared to go to court on this, anybody who is aggrieved can go to court,” the chairman stated.
He however noted that majority of Bodija Estate residents are enlightened and have travelled far and wide to the USA and Europe, hence they know that nonpayment for facilities is a criminal offence. He stressed that the lackadaisical attitude of people when it comes to payment of due fees to institutions of government must be checked and stopped.
Talking about transfer of property within the estate without any recourse to the corporation, Barrister Lawal described it illegal transaction. He disclosed that most times, Housing Corporation would not know when properties exchange hands unless the vendors come forward to officially notify the corporation about their action.
“There is serious legal implication because in the eye of the law, those to whom such properties had been allocated are the ones who have their names with the Housing Corporation. So if such properties are transfered to other people, such other people would not have their names with us. There are dire consequences for that if we get to know.” He added.
“We have the liberty, people don’t know, under our law, to seal up premises that go against our regulations. So there are dire legal consequences for such transaction.” He concluded.
Barrister Lawal also called on other residents of the estate who are owing ground rent to quickly pay up their debt, vowing to seal up their offices and even residents as the corporation is legally empowered to do so.
