Oyo govt will boost IGR through land capital— Bayo Lawal

The deputy governor of Oyo state, Barrister Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Lawal has reiterated the commitment of Oyo state government under Governor Seyi Makinde to boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through land capital.

Lawal said that everyone must prioritize how land is being used, noting that Oyo state is blessed with enormous land that can equal four states in the South South or South East, and that the government has been working to put Oyo people on land capital since the beginning of this administration.

He made these remarks on Wednesday while receiving the President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers on a courtesy visit.

According to him, we all need shelter in our affairs whether you are old, young, educated or uneducated. And primarily, a key sector of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is not only to have shelter but to have proper shelter in our midst.

“When I became the chairman of Oyo State Housing Corporation, I ensured that descent environment is maintained, and I think and know as a matter of fact, to remove the issue of land, being a major factor of production from our existence, no one will exist anymore.

“It is on this note I welcome you sincerely on behalf of His excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde.

“I can assure you that I will inform His Excellency that the Estate Surveyors and Valuers are planning to invest him with honor, and I need to appreciate you for founding me too worthy of the award.

The deputy governor, who remarked that the profession is not effectively regulated given the way quacks have taken over the profession in the country, stated that he urged the Surveyors and Valuers to address the shortcomings last month during a Ramadan lecture organized by Oyo Muslim Estates Surveyors and Valuers.

He said: “There are more quacks in the profession. So, I urge you to frown at the way some people who doesn’t go to school are parading themselves as estate consultants.

“No quacks come to me parading themselves as estate consultant without getting rebuked.

“So, I urge you to set up a disciplinary committee that will be going out to apprehend those quacks parading themselves as professional because it’s a must to protect the profession.”

However, in his reaction on property identification assignment, the deputy governor assured that under Governor Makinde’s leadership, Oyo state would not pitch the ministry of agriculture against the ministry of land on the C of O issue, saying that overlap would not take place in Oyo state in the same way it had in other states.

He mentioned that Governor Seyi Makinde through roads infrastructure development has been able to link the seven zones of the state together to boost the state economy.

According to Lawal, even if the economy is lifted up through farm produce, real estate developers must also take advantage of this by adopting proper legal frame work and sponsoring bills in the house of assembly that will regulate development.

He added that the Oyo government has made concerted efforts in opening 11 more new GRAs noting that the state is blessed with land mass to improve the economy of the state as part of the agenda of omituntun 2.0.

“So, on this note, I need to thank you and welcome you. You are most welcome to Oyo state and I hope you will take advantage of the land mass, research institute, tertiary institutions among others”, he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the president of the association, Johnbull Amayarbor, who congratulated the governor and deputy for the landslide victory in the March 18th governorship election, said the result was as a result of their good works in the state in the last four years.

The president commended Bayo Lawal for his contributions while serving as the chairman of Housing Corporation, describing him as “Mr. Housing.”

“We need to commend you for your contributions. We have many of our colleagues working in Housing Corporation and we can attest to what you have turned around in the housing corporation and what you are still doing at the corporation. So, that’s why we would be very glad that on behalf of the council, we would be pleased to honor you because of your recourse which speaks volume.

“The honoring would take place during our upcoming convention in Ilorin, when other notable personalities from all throughout the nation would also be recognized.

“We aware of the GRAs which Governor Makinde have done because it’s not really common everywhere, and we know that he has very sound lieutenants, this is possible because of people like you around him.

“We need to commend Mr governor for his position on C of O and how he has been able to come up with the rigorous land system.

“The way he has been paying staff salaries is also something for which we should commend him, and our colleagues in the ministry are also benefiting greatly. The governor of Osun state has also copied his brother’s style in Oyo state in this regard.

“We would be very happy to also invest our amiable governor.

“Our association is prepared to work with the Oyo state government in areas like training of their staff and the crucial ones that will help the state government in the next four years going forward”, the president added.

Among government functionaries present at the interactive meeting include Commissioner for lands and Urban Planning, TPL Segun 𝕆𝕃𝔸𝕐𝕀𝕎𝕆𝕃𝔸; Commissioner for Special Duties, Fausat Sani; Surveyor General of Oyo state, Mr Abiodun Alaba; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Housing and Urban development, Tilewa Folami, Director of Oyo state Housing Corporation, Lekan Animasaun among others.