Encomium
Urges compliance to environmental, sanitation laws of the State
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday inspected two Housing projects under the Lagos Home Ownership and Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) – the Lagos HOMS, Ajara in Badagry and the Lagos HOMS, Igando saying the ability of the contractors to quickly and effectively deliver on what they have now was critical to meeting the monthly allocation of the homes.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the inspections, Governor Fashola said in order to meet the demands of allocating 200 housing units every month under the Scheme, there was need for the contractors to fast-track work on the ones at hand now for the Government to move to other schemes.
The Governor, however, said as much as Government wants the schemes finished quickly, it would not compromise on quality and safety of the houses adding that every contractor must deliver the project according to the specifications made on both quality and safety.
“We want all our contractors to double up to work and finish the work as quickly as possible without any compromise to quality and to safety because we want to move to other schemes”, the Governor said adding, “Once we finish this one (Igando) and the one in Alimosho and the one in Ajara in Badagry, then we will move on to other schemes”.
On the issue of environmental sanitation, the Governor, who frowned at the habit of defecating and urinating in the open as well as dumping refuse in unauthorized places, called for a change saying such habits belonged to the distant past and to people in the villages.
“The people must change. They cannot trade on the highway, they cannot dump refuse on the highway, we are not going to allow it. It is either you live according to the law of this State or you leave”, the Governor said.
He warned that his administration was not going to compromise on any of the laws of the State, including Sanitation and Environmental Laws, insisting that all those who continue to disobey such laws must be ready to face the legal consequences or leave the State.
Describing such habits as urinating or defecating in the open as backward, Governor Fashola declared, “All those people are urinating or defecating in the open should note that this is not a village, this is a city and an urban centre and we have to stop all those village and backward behaviour”.
“People are welcome to stay if they can obey our laws, but if they cannot, it is either they pay the penalty or leave because there are environmental laws and sanitation laws. People cannot be openly defecating and urinating in the city centre in the 21st Century. It is unacceptable, they must be able to restrain themselves and control themselves”, the Governor said.
Governor Fashola, who was accompanied on the tour by some members of the State Executive Council, first visited the 420 housing units Lagos HOMS, Ajara in Badagry where he was received and conducted round by the Special Adviser, New Towns Development Authority (NTDA), Mrs. Felicia Awofisayo.
The Governor, who was first shown the pictorial representation of the various stages of the project since work began on the site, later went round the various, units which are in various stages of completion. One of the contractors handling part of the project, Messrs House Masters Limited, promised to deliver their portion by August this year.
At the 540-unit Lagos HOMS, Igando, Governor Fashola, who was received and conducted round the project by NTDA’s General manager, Dr. Aderemi Isiba, expressed satisfaction with the progress of work which included the various roads within the scheme which have reached more than 40 percent completion.
Also accompanying the Governor on the tour were the Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and his Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development counterparts, Mr. Ademorin Kuye and Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mrs. Regina Iyabo Obasa, among other top government functionaries.
SIGNED:
HAKEEM BELLO
SPECIAL ADVISER ON MEDIA TO H.E
MAY 08, 2014.
