LASU land: How risk takers have become landlords with C of O

What ordinary tantamount to risk taking several years ago by desperate Lagos residents, who sought to become home owners, however, illegally, is turning out a blessing.

Encouraged by the activities of land speculators, in a state with over three million housing deficit, several residents had swooped on a large expanse of land that the Lagos State government acquired in the early 1980s for the future expansion of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

The government, and management of LASU, it was learnt, had left the land largely undeveloped, fencing off only the portion that accommodates the immediate campus, and for several years, turned blind eye on the unsecured part of the acquired land.

Speculators and the original owners of the land, some of whom were said to have lamented that the land had not been fully utilised for the purpose acquired, gradually began to feast on the unsecured portion.

By the last count, over 8,000 structures were said to have been illegally erected on the LASU land. The huge development was said to have discouraged the government from rolling out the bulldozers, choosing instead, to engage the squatters.

Over the last few years, there have been back and forth discussions on the issue, with the squatters pleading to retain their property.

In a stakeholders’ meeting last week, presided over by Idiat Adebule, Lagos State deputy governor, the squatters got more than they bargained for, as the government, against all expectation, slashed the fee it earlier requested the land encroachers to pay for the regularisation of their title by 67 percent.

With the rebate given, the squatters are to become landlords with the payment of N1.25 million per plot, down from N3.9 million.

The reduced fee will guarantee for the squatters Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), survey plant and other relevant documents that confer on them the ownership of their properties.

The squatters, according to Adebule, had appealed to the state government that they did not want to continue as LASU’s tenants.

“Governor Akinwumi Ambode has agreed and given the concession that you will not be LASU tenants anymore. He has also agreed that the annual payment to LASU will no longer be. The governor has also agreed that we will go on with the process of land regularisation and not demolish your property, except those who deliberately went into LASU compound,” Adebule said.

The deputy governor explained that after valuation of land in the area, putting market value in the front burner, government came up with N3.9 million to be paid for the regularisation of a plot of land. This, she said included the cost of obtaining certificate of occupancy, survey, among other relevant documents.

“When we took this amount to the governor, he gave us consideration of 67 percent rebate. This means that for a plot, you will be paying N1.25 million instead of N3.9 million. We want the process to be seamless; we gave a timeline at that time, but the timeline will no longer exist. We are going to set a new timeline for ourselves for the process of payment to be seamless,” she stated.

According to her, the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, with the Surveyor General, would draw up a team for this process to be seamless, saying that there would be a desk officer to attend to the needs of the stakeholders.

“Government will make the process very seamless and open. We will pass information across to you through the website and make sure you are ready with your documentation when the time comes for you to regularise your land. We will ensure we drive this matter to a conclusion,” she added.

A community leader, Taofik Aina, Baale of Igbo Elerin and Sunday Kapo, chairman, community development association of the affected aea, lauded the government for the gesture.

JOSHUA BASSEY