As part of the efforts to shore up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for more infrastructural development, the Oyo State Housing Corporation on Thursday sealed some business outlets for defaulting in payment of N800 million.
The Chairman of the corporation, Barrister Bayo Lawal, while speaking with GOALPOACHER NEWS correspondent in Ibadan after the exercise, said, the corporation has legal backing for its action.
According to him, the business owners were formally notified about their huge indebtedness to the corporation which, however, could not get any positive response from them.
His words: “it’s important for me to embark on this revenue drive because the residents of Bodija Estate are owing us so much money as a matter of fact the money out there in terms of ground rent debt is about 800 million naira and I need to transform Bodija not only the headquarters here but the roads and drainages are calling for repairs and renovation.”
“As you know Housing Corporation is a legal entity, we generate our own revenue for developmental purposes. Last year, I know how much I spent to clear drainages at Adeyi, Osuntokun, all the streets around here and rain is coming by April, and I have to do my duty to clear them, to repair roads, to put electricity on the streets.”
” I have called on the residents, I have BERA that’s, Bodija Residents Association to tell them the plight of the Housing Corporation in terms of non-payment of the ground rent.”
“I have written to them not once not twice, as a matter of fact they offer to assist but as I speak to you they have not 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 Bodija Estate, we have other estates around I am just starting, from time to time, I will be going out to lock up offices and shops for non-payment of ground rents and I mean it.”
“We can not depend on government for everything people must discharge their obligations to institutions and I know that our people are not willing to do that so we must force them to do it and prepare to go to court on this, anybody who is aggreive can go to court but I know as a matter of fact I want our people are are highly enlighten they have travelled far and wide, they have been to the USA, they have been to Europe they know that non-payment for facilities is a criminal offence over there.”
“But the lackadaisical attitude of our people with respect to payment of dues to institutions of government must be checked and stopped. This is a symbolic outing, I have told my colleagues to issue direct appeal to other people we have not visited today to come forward and pay otherwise we will visit them in due course.”
Speaking on those who indulge in leasing out Housing properties to other tenants without getting the approval for that, the former commissioner said, “this is what I can describe as illegal transactions that are going on around this place, the truth of the matter is that the housing corporation will not know when properties are changing hands unless they come forward particularly the vendors must come forward to come and tell us that my property have been sold out to a particular individuals but they are not doing so until we move around and see development in certain houses we won’t know.”
“But as a matter of fact, such transfers if nothing is done Housing Corporation will not know, the transfer, the exchange agreement that are not registered with the housing corporation there is no way we can know.”
“There is a serious legal implications, number one in the eye of the law those to whom that such properties have been allocated are the ones that have their names with the housing corporation, if such properties are transfered to other people such other people will not have their names with us and 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 any premises that go against our regulations, so that dire legal consequences for such transactions.”