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Hamzat Obafemi Kadri, a running mate to one of the contenders to Lagos State Government House has assured Lagosians that their administration will solve the housing problems of the state.
While speaking to journalists recently, Hamzat stated that their government would evolve a policy that will accommodate all categories of residents in the state by the time his party forms the government.
Hamzat who represented his principal, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at an interactive session with journalists said his team has what it takes to provide housing for Lagos residents without stress, adding it would not discriminate against anybody in the state, as every resident deserves a descent and functional homes.
According to him, many are having issues with getting good homes of their choice due to wrong perspective and approach, pledging that 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 further said, “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, he 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 a new Lagos government would work towards ensuring this become the norm.
