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I have just come accross a report of Governor Babatunde Fashola's speech during his monthly draw for the allocation of homes to residents under the state Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) which produced another 76 beneficiaries.
He said that criticisms that homes, under the state’s mortgage scheme are not low-cost, are unfair, adding that they are aimed at discrediting the good intentions of the state government.
The governor said that his administration had always promised the provision of affordable housing for which home-seekers could pay conveniently over a period of time.
Fashola said:
Some people have criticised us that homes under our mortgage scheme are not low-cost, but these people cannot point to one place where our government promised to build low-cost houses. “We did not promise low-cost housing.
What we promised was affordable housing and people should not accuse us of not doing what we
did not promise.
I have always reiterated since I was campaigning as a governorship candidate in 2007 that my commitment to the people of Lagos is affordable housing and that is what we are delivering.
Fashola said that he could not have promised low-cost housing when there was no low-cost land, no low-cost labour and building materials and when the exchange rate of the Nigerian currency to others was high. -
Well i am a big Fashola fan but in this instance i'm afraid he is veery wrong.How can he say he didn't promise the people of Lagos State Low cost housing? If he indeed did not then that was very wrong,in any Government you No 1 priority should be to provide for the very less privileged.Not for those who have access to comfortability.
Now here's what i think happened.Fashola is a lawyer so he has used his skills here,there is no way any governorship aspirant would go into campaign and categorically tell the people that he is seeking their votes he will not provide for them,there is also no way these same people will now go out in their droves to vote for you.By telling the poor masses he would give them affordable houses it is very easily understood to mean houses they can afford..which to them means Low cost housing..I mean can you just imagine him at a rally and we all do know that a rally will always have more people who are low income than the middle class for example..so imagine him in a rural area telling the people,we will provide houses for you but not low cost houses..they are gonna be affordable though..so if you have a million Naira to spend every year on the mortgage you will be ok..where are these people gonna get that kind of money?
But he tells them we shall provide you affordable houses and they start dancing cos obviously if you have people earning N100,and you tell them in a rally you will provide them affordable houses,they automatically assume it's something they can afford with the N100 they earn..and this is effectively what Fashola lured them to believe.If those same people you met at your campaign and said you will provide affordable houses for can't afford these houses now,it means you have tricked them cos you knew very well their income bracket! so for Fashola to now say because he meant affordable housing did not necessarily mean low cost is taking the masses for a ride and frankly i am very disappointed..it also spews arrogance.
To also say he "could not have promised low-cost housing when there was no low-cost land, no low-cost labour and building materials and when the exchange rate of the Nigerian currency to others was high." beggars belief,it shows no regards for the common man on the streets,if the State Governent cannot afford all these,how can a common man on the street? This is basically telling the common man to go to blazes...It is your job as the leader of the state to find a way to give low cost housing to these people..no matter what it takes or costs..even if you have to be out of pocket.Nothing should be more important than the welfare of the people who have voted you into power and you have promised to provide for!