As a way of increasing its Internal Generated Revenue, the Oyo State Housing Corporation on Thursday shut down businesses of ground rent defaulters in the Bodija Housing Estate, insideoyo.com reports.
The operation which was led by the Chairman of the corporation, Barrister Bayo Lawal was aimed as raking in over 800 million naira ground rent debt.
Our correspondent who monitored the operation reported that some of the businesses that were locked included GQ club, Uncle B Bread, 411 hotel, Education Advancement Center, Munchies, Pentonrise, De Executive Suites, Rofel hotel and others.
While speaking after the operation, the Chairman of the corporation, Barrister Bayo Lawal explained that the agency can not be depending on the state government at all time in executing projects that needs to be carried out within and among the other estate.
He itemized some of the projects that was done in the past as clearance of the whole estate drainage, provisions of street lights among others.
The chairman said he has already sent an apealing notice to remaining members of the estate that the exercise didn’t get to their area today adding that majority of the residents are elites which should be ready to Cooperate with the agency to transform the estate to the next level.
He condemned the lackadaisical attitude of the populace for not willing to pay dues and bills for government facilities enjoyed by them and also stipulates that the Housing corporation needs to be notified whenever there is change of occupants or ownership for proper fillings and documentations.
His words “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.
“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. I have invited 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.
“That’s why I decided to embark on massive revenue generation within the metropolis of 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.
When asked if there’s a penalty for tranfering land to another person.
He said: “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.
“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.”
