Ekiti evicts occupants of govt estate over debt

TOYIN ANISULOWO, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti State Government yesterday began the eviction and sealing of houses at the Ekiti State owned Irewolede Estate in Ado Ekiti over unpaid mortgage.

Many of the buyers of the properties were locked out for refusing to pay for the houses sold to them on mortgage and other arrangements by the regimes of Engr. Segun Oni and Dr . Kayode Fayemi.

When the estate was visited around 2pm, security personnel were seen stationed there, while the workers of the Ekiti State Housing Corporation were identifying defaulters and prevented them from gaining entry into the estate.

Fayose, had earlier constituted a committee, headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olubunmi Olusola, to interface with the landlords, from where a directive was given to each of them to pay the amount authorised by the mortgage agreement on or before August 5, or face ejection.

The residents have, however, begged Governor Ayodele Fayose, to allow them more time to be able to pay their debts.

The Chairman of the Irewolede Estate Landlords’ Association, Mr Ayo Orebe, appealed to the governor to grant them more time to be able to respond to payment, saying the forced eviction could aggravate the poor economic situations of his members.

Orebe blamed the Federal Mortgage Bank for its refusal to disburse funds to banks, claiming that some of his members had subscribed to the bank without remitting same to the government.

According to him, the situation would not have happened, but for the stoppage of disbursement of funds by the Federal Mortgage Bank under the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan-led government.

Orebe urged the governor to set up a machinery for the amortisation of all the agreements reached by landlords for the payment through Aso Savings, Mortgage and outright purchase policies, so that members could have more commitment to pay.

“Some of the landlords bought their houses through Mortgage arrangement and outright purchase, which will last for a period of 10 years and 5 years for the payment of the full money respectively.

“Some of us have renovated our residences, spending several thousands of naira. Some of the landladies are widows, whose husbands bought the house and died few months after they got here.

“These widows have no means of livelihood and there is no way they can continue with the payment. Should we now ask those people to vacate for their inabilities to pay?,” he asked.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the government’s action as “barbaric, heartless and brutish, as a four-day-old baby and her mother were locked inside the house.”

“The action was like a movie from the blues as dangerous-looking thugs and some policemen from the Government House, invaded the estate and started harassing residents, sealing their houses.

“This caused panic among residents, including women and children, some of whom suffered shock,” he explained.

Olatubosun regretted that the governor behaved “in this reckless manner” even though there was a subsisting mortgage agreement, which allowed the residents to pay over five to 10 years, but Fayose insisted that all the money must be paid within one month.

However, the Ekiti State government has said that the sealing of the houses of defaulters had no political undertone, but that affected persons had bluntly refused to meet their contractual obligations to the government.

In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, the government said out of 254 allocated houses in the estate, only 37 allottees had paid fully, adding that 217 allottees had yet to complete payment.

“The total amount being owed by the allottees as of the time Governor Ayo Fayose, assumed office was N904,635,556.57. Total amount recovered since Governor Fayose assumed office was N82 million. Some of the allottees have sold or rented out the houses allocated to them.

“The allottees cut across political parties, as there are notable leaders of the PDP and APC among them. It is therefore not political. Over N800m is being owed by the allottees as of today.

“Today alone, over N5m was paid by some of the allottees. The government is insisting that allottees who have declined to pay for the houses allocated to them must pay. Those who are not defaulting did not have their houses sealed.

“Because Governor Fayose directed that Irewolede Housing Estate, Ado Ekiti, be sealed because of the allottees refusal to pay, over N10 million was paid today alone!

“One of the allottees paid N1m, another one paid N396, 500, two others paid N324, 000 and N225, 000. Others made payments ranging from N45, 000 to N70, 000. In all, 27 allottees have made payments as of 2pm, making a total sum of N87, 447,644.00 recovered,” the statement said.