Irrespective of status, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Deputy Governorship candidate, in Lagos state in the forth-coming general election, Dr. Hamzat Obafemi Kadri, has assured that their government would evolve a policy that will accommodate all categories of residents in the state, when APC is returned to steer the governance of the state.
Hamzat, who spoke on behalf of Babajide Sanwoolu Campaign Office to selected journalists in Lagos on Monday, said his team has what it takes to provide housing for Lagos residents without stress.
He said his government would not discriminate against anybody in the state, noting that everyone deserves a descent and functional homes.
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According to him, many are having issues with getting good homes of their choice due to wrong perspective and approach, adding that their government would work towards having in place sustainable housing programmes for all cadres of the people.
Citing a report, Hamzat said: “On the average, it takes 17 years for an African to build his house. This is because we buy houses in this part of the continent like we buy yam or rice. What needs to happen is to have working and affordable mortgages. That is the way it’s being done all over the world.
He added: “Take for instance, if I buy a house for a long period of time with mortgage, I can refinance it over a period of time. If I buy a house in 1990 for instance, by 2000, the property has added value and I refinance it. Through that deal, I’ll get some money and I cash out.
To get this done, the APC Deputy Governor candidate in Lagos said: “We must get such thing working in Lagos. To do this, however, we need land reform, though our constitution albeit limits the roles of governors in this regard. Under the Land Use Act, the constitution says that the land is vested in the governor,” he noted.
Apart from the policy, the IT engineer said it was high time we changed our housing designs and pledged that their government would work towards ensuring this become the norm. “Going forward, we need to manage our land space through modern architectural designs. When you go to London, you will see such flats, though they may appear small, but they are manageable.
“The idea of building a house with a long corridor is waste of space in Lagos having 0.4 per cent landmass? The state does not have land. We can’t build like Niger State that has 7.8 per cent landmass. So, we must go up and reduce sizes, while ensuring the mortgage system works effectively.
“We demonstrated this with HOMS project. With HOMS project, we were producing 200 homes every month. So, it is a terrain we are familiar with and we can do it again. Those to benefit don’t have to be educated before they benefit or participate. You can be a plumber and whatever you are, once you have a record and having a work, that can empower you to pay your mortgage, then, you can benefit.”
Source: Independent
