Applicants Reject Ogun Gov’s 300% Increase On Housing Scheme

Over 200 applicants of the housing scheme in Ogun State who completed their payments between 2021 and 2022 but are still awaiting the government’s allocation of the housing have rejected a 300% increase and refund.

The Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi, attributed the situation to “galloping inflation,” which necessitated adjustments, pushing the new payment to N20 million.

The applicants argued that they have fulfilled their part of the bargain and paid for the housing scheme, and it is not their fault that there is a delay in the allocation.

The applicants, who had paid between N4 million and N6 million, were shocked to receive a letter from the government requesting an additional N14 million to N16 million to complete the payment.

The letter, dated June 12, 2024, and signed by the Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi, stated that the increase was due to “galloping inflation” and “escalated cost of building materials”.

However, the applicants are refusing to pay the additional fee, stating that they had already fulfilled their part of the agreement and that the delay in allocation was not their fault.

“We are shocked and disappointed by the government’s request,” said one of the applicants, who preferred to remain anonymous. “We have fulfilled our part of the agreement, and it is not our fault that the allocation has been delayed. We demand that the government honors the original agreement and allocates the houses to us at the price we paid.”

The applicants have threatened to take legal action if the government does not reverse its decision. They have also appealed to the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, to intervene in the matter.

The development has sparked outrage among the applicants, who feel that the government is trying to take advantage of them. The situation has also raised questions about the transparency and accountability of the government’s housing scheme.