The Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State said arrangements are ongoing for the construction of massive housing estates in selected communities with a view to attracting development to the council area.
It disclosed that private developers are already being engaged to undertake the housing facilities, which will also cater for low income earners including the staff of the local government.
The Executive Chairman of the local government, Hadji Femi Yusuf, made this known while speaking at the 49th edition of media parliament of Kwara State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held in Ilorin, the state capital.
The media parliament was themed “Grassroots Governance: Reasserting Local Government Administration in Kwara State”.
Yusuf said the local government was specifically targeting Idofian district and the Ganmo-Amoyo-Jimba Oja-Kabba axis for the housing and urban expansion as part of plan for the future growth of communities and proper structure of development.
Prior to the project, the council chairman said there was no known government owned housing estates within the Ifelodun territory save for the two built in Omupo and Igbaja by those he identified as old rich individuals.
He added that the rationale behind the housing estates was to decongest Ilorin, the state capital and draw economic development to Ifelodun, being the closest to Ilorin.
Yusuf, a former Chairman, Kwara State House of Assembly Service Commission, also noted that plans are on in his council to reclaim all parcels of land within the local government territory.
He added that his administration is also embarking on the construction of motor park, shopping complex and market in the area in line with his agenda for speedy development of the council.
“There is no housing estate of repute in Ifelodun local government. There is no government that has come and bring in housing estate or develop any house. All the housing estate you may say we have is from all those old rich men. You can see one in Omupo, one in Igbaja. What we are looking at, Ilorin is expanding. Ilorin is big. Economy of Ilorin is choking up now.
“And fortunately for us, Ifelodun local government is the closest to Ilorin. See where Ile Omo Igbomina is, its Ifelodun land. That is where Ifelodun land starts. So, that axis to Ganmo is Ifelodun local government not Ilorin. So, we want to create our own identity and say this is Ifelodun land, this is our local government. That was what informed the construction of that shopping complex because some people used to confuse it that that place (Afon Junction) is Asa local government. Ifelodun local government land starts from the rail road in Ogbondoroko. That is where Ifelodun starts from, and we are reclaiming all our lands.
“So, when we finish that side, we are moving to the other side and open up a shopping complex there. Its part of our deliberate act to open up Ifelodun local government for economic activities. We want to take advantage of Ilorin.
“Another one important thing that we are doing to drive development down to that axis is the motor park. We have started construction of a motor park in Amoyo. It is going to be Ifelodun local government garage. We will bring back Ifelodun travelers. We have had agreements with some people that will give us ‘Koropes’ that we will paint in our colour. But we must have a park
“When we finish the park, which we have shopping complex in it, we are not going to restrict them to Ifelodun travelers alone. All the traveling from Ifelodun must be to Ifelodun local government. So, if an Ifelodun man wants to travel to Igbaja, he can afford to board a taxi-cab from Offa Garage to Amoyo and board our Ifelodun vehicle. That is the plan. That is why we are building shopping complex in that axis.
“And next to that shopping complex is a market that we have created. If you get to the place now, you will see that we are building shops there too. So, we are opening up that place. We are not stopping at that place. If somebody from Offa can be working in Ilorin and be sleeping in Offa everyday, why would you not be able to work in Ilorin and sleep in Jimba-Oja, Idofian or Omupo? Which one is shorter? So, that is why we want to take that advantage.
“I have seven Kabbas; Kabba Dongari, Kabba Agbedako, Kabba Owode and so on. So, we want to partner private developers to build estates in that axis, thus driving government presence to that place. We are going to have a low cost housing estate. The first beneficiaries of that low cost housing estate are my staff in the local government. After that low cost housing estate, we will now have the rich also cry too. That one will be meant for those that can afford luxury. Part of the design, there will be a stadium and they already have a polo ground there,” the council chairman said.
Visited 18 times, 1 visit(s) today
