Ninety -two fresh home owners on Wednesday emerged at the fourth public draw of the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) with Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) declaring that he was happy to see the joyful faces of the winners even as he informed that the State has released about N2 Billion to mobilize fresh contractors to new estates that are under construction.
asholaThe Governor who spoke at the Blueroof Hall at the LTV Complex, Agidingbi, before a gathering of many happy, appreciative and excited new home owners added that the fund would also take care of outstanding contractors to ensure that work continues on all the sites.
“I saw a lot of happy faces today and so my own day is made because every day, this job has meaning for me only if I can make somebody happy. So from the 31 successful winners in the first month, 36 in the second month, 76 in the third draws and today 92 new home owners in Lagos. I am a happy man. I am happy because I have made some people happy and I am sure my colleagues who have worked with me are happy too”, he emphasized.
He also appealed to the state contractors on the Lagos HOMS project whom he acknowledged have done well so far to ramp up their act and give more in terms of speed without compromising safety and quality.
He reiterated his call for the introduction of shifts at construction sites, stressing that workers can do two shifts of eight hours at each intervals and in that way reduce construction time without compromising quality and not compromising the safety of the workers at the construction sites.
Governor Fashola said the successful holding of another public draw is a confirmation that people who live in the state who have some means and who work hard can legitimately aspire to have a place to call their own.
He explained that while what transpired at the draws might actually look easy to the public, it is actually not but looks easy because the state has been fortunate enough to have dedicated men and women who have committed themselves to a life of service for the people of this state.
“This looks very easy but it is not. If you look round our country I don’t know any other part of our country where they have promised and delivered 200 new homes every month and that is how easy it is”, he stated
He observed that a significant number of the home owners were very young people which reinforces the size of the part of the Nigerian population that are in need of service, who are in expectation that their country and their government would stand up for them.
“There were many young people in numbers and there were some middle ages and little elderly ones. But interestingly, there were many women, there were Christians and there were Muslims. There were people from diverse backgrounds in Nigeria. Do you know what binds them together? Their Lagos residents and the fact that the government that they pay taxes to, responds by providing services to them”.
Fashola described the Lagos HOMS scheme and draws as a project made in Nigeria, by Nigerians for Nigerians which is an affirmation that in spite of what happens around the country, something made in Nigeria, something designed by Nigerians can work without interference, can work openly and can work honestly.
“I am happy but you know what that means. It means democracy can work. It means that if we dare to dream, everything will succeed. It may look long when we started, it was just 31, we are not where we ought to be yet but month after month, we have increased that number. That is the way for me that a nation and people develop, gradually and steadily and maybe that is why I am in the camp of the progressives”.
“We would honestly commit with you irrespective of how far the distance is and we will commit also to run every mile of that distance with the same candour, spirit and belief that we will get to the end. That is the spirit I urge our people to share and continue with in difficult times, because it is determined people who survive difficult times”, the Governor stressed.
He expressed the hope that some of some of the people who benefitted from the Lagos HOMS draws voted during the last elections and that if they did not, they will vote during the next general elections.
“I hope that they will see the difference between a committed government and a government that does not care. I hope that on Election Day, they will not be too tired to go and cast their votes and especially for those of them who did not vote, we may never have witnessed this day, if some people had not voted for me”, he stressed.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of the Lagos Mortgage Board, Mr Bayowa Forsythe informed that 222 people applied at seven schemes namely Adetoun Mustapha, Olaitan Mustapha Estates in Ojokoro, Chois Garden, Abijo, Sotonwa Estate, Igbogbo, Shogunro Scheme, Ogba, Ilupeju Scheme, Ilupeju and Sir Michael Otedola Scheme, Odoragunshi.
He added that out of the number, 176 people were successfully prequalified while 46 applications were declined because of document issues.