In pursuance of his administration's commitment to housing in the State, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday went on an inspection tour of three project sites of the Lagos Home Ownership Scheme (Lagos HOMS) saying Government is committed to the sustainable supply of houses in the State.

The three Lagos HOMS project sites visited by the Governor include the Ilupeju HOMS where Government is building 10 blocks of one, two and three bedroom flats with each block containing 12 flats to house 120 families, the Mushin HOMS containing five blocks of 12 flats each to house 60 households and Ikeja GRA HOMS where a total of 76 flats are being built for 76 households.

Fielding questions from State House Correspondents after the inspection, Governor Fashola said the projects represent the Housing component of the Government's new developmental focus on Power, Agriculture, Transportation and Housing (PATH) as elucidated at the Lagos Economic Summit (EHINGBETI 2012).

"What we are trying to do is putting our brand of social housing across strategic
places, integrate all of them with existing transport, hospitals, markets and schools so that people who live there do not have to go too far away before they get to the existing infrastructure and also to balance the challenge of crowding up", the Governor explained.

On the purpose of the inspection tour, the Governor said, "What we are doing now is just checking how much progress the contractors are making and when they are going to finish preparatory to flagging off the Lagos HOMS Scheme".

Governor Fashola, however, explained that though the housing units were being rapidly completed and increasing, the project flag-off aspect would not be emphasized now because what is more important now is to ensure that the housing supply end is addressed adequately so that when the Lagos HOMS Scheme takes off, there will be regular delivery of the houses.

"Flagging off a scheme is not as important as making sure that the scheme is delivered. If you flag off a scheme and there are no houses, it will just be a big advertisement and we do not do that. If we are committed to something in the State, we deliver it", the Governor said.

According to him, "I am addressing the supply side of the houses so that when we start, it must remain sustainable. So, even if it is 20 houses or 50 houses, it will mean that every month we could say it is 20 or 50 houses which will mean that 20 or 50 new Lagosians will become new home owners".

"As the housing stock increases, we can now decide to increase to 100 or 120 or 150. But if you do not address the supply side and you deal with launching; you know how many projects that have been launched in this country that we don't see again today. So what is important is to ensure that as we build, we are looking at new sites to ensure that there is steady supply of new homes, that is what makes the project sustainable and that is what we are about", the Governor said.

Governor Fashola, who noted that building houses is not rocket science, further declared, "The issue is how can we make this project sustainable so that it continues to multiply itself on a sustainable basis and you and I and everybody can go away believing that it will be the turn of each of us someday because we know that new houses will be built".

On the other components of PATH, Governor Fashola said Government has made tremendous progress in the area of Agriculture and Agro-allied development in places like Ikorodu, Epe and Imota as well as so many other areas in the State.

"You will also see across the State constant lighting up of many of our streets, rehabilitation of street poles that Lagos Electricity Board is doing. You can see some here in the GRA, Ikeja, some along Ahmadu Bello Way and many other streets of Lagos where the electricity board is working", the Governor said pointing out that it is another component of Power.

The Governor said Government was also making progress on the various Independent Power Projects (IPPs) for Ikeja, Lekki and for Alausa adding that they would complement the other components of PATH to ensure an enhanced lifestyle for the people of Lagos on a sustainable basis.

Earlier, while conducting the Governor round the Ilupeju Lagos HOMS site, the Special Adviser to the Governor on New Town Development Authority (NTDA), Mrs. Felicia Awofisayo, said four contractors were working on the housing units adding that while two of the contractors are each handling three of the units the other two are handling two units each.

She explained that the road construction to the site has been awarded but that the construction was being delayed until appreciable progress was made in the construction of the housing units.

Mrs. Awofisayo, who also conducted the Governor round the Mushin HOMS site at Daleko, said there are two roads leading to the Ilupeju HOMS from the Expressway adding that while the major one comes through Barracks Road, the other one comes through the side of the nearby petrol station on the Anthony end of the Apapa-Oshodi Exoressway.

While conducting the Governor round the impressive, almost completed GRA Ikeja Lagos HOMS site, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Architect Adedeji Taiwo, said appreciable progress was being made by the contractors handling the project towards a timely delivery.

Also accompanying the Governor on the tour was the Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Bosun Jeje, the Special Adviser in the Ministry, Mr. Jimoh Ajao, Special Adviser to the Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Town Planner Sulaimon A. Yusuff and other top Government functionaries.