geez*:
This is modest considering th fact that Ogun is the third most industrialized state after Lagos and Oyo

RankStatePPP GDP (2010;
in millios
of USD)

1Lagos StateUS$33,679(been the former FCT,)
2Rivers StateUS$21,073(Oil)
3Delta StateUS$16,749(Oil)
4Oyo StateUS$16,121(Productivity & Industrialization)
5Imo StateUS$14,212(Oil)
6Kano StateUS$12,393(instrialization)
7Edo StateUS$11,888(Oil)
-FCT, Abuja. US$11,448(FG's Special consideration)
8Akwa Ibom StateUS$11,179(Oil)
9Ogun StateUS$10,470(industrialization & productivity)

Ogbuefi_Negro: I hope as we push development inward that we do not replicate some of theproblems in Lagos.

There need to be designated metro or urban service areas (msa) with zoning districts for graded tax purposes. In addition, we also need to have designated rural areas that are protected by regulations against a defenceless sprawl and encroachment from msa.

Urban development: Ogun plans 37,000-hectare new town

The Ogun State Government has earmarked 37,000 hectares of land for the development of a new town that will straddle the Papalanto axis in Obafemi Owode Local Government all the way to Ifo in Ifo Local Government area.

The new town, which will be part of the Lagos Mega City, will take off from the left hand side of the Papalanto road where Nestle Nigeria Plc has its factory off the Abeokuta-Shagamu dual carriageway and will traverse Mowe, Ofada, Loburo and Ifo communities, among others.

However, the news may not be too pleasant to private developers, who have acquired hundreds of hectares of land in the area, especially around Papalanto, but the government has promised that those with genuine papers have nothing to fear

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Land Matters and Director-General, Bureau of Lands and Survey, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, those with valid documents will be paid compensation, while the government will excise existing settlements in order for the indigenes to maintain their heritage.

Sokefun, who spoke in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, said in order to facilitate the establishment of the modern city that would be a model in physical planning and infrastructure, the state government had acquired 1.5 kilometre of land from the centre of the Papalanto road on the left hand side.

The immediate past administration in the state had caused a stir when it announced the acquisition of the area on the excuse that the private developers, who flocked to the area due to the availability of relatively cheap land, had not sufficiently commenced developments.

The Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria cried foul and made spirited appeals to the government for a reconsideration of its action, while the villagers too protested the acquisition.

Eventually, a committee was set up to review the acquisition and verify all documents possessed by the developers so that billions of naira already committed to the axis would not go down the drain.

Sokefun said the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration “has kick-started the new town development and we are about to do the master plan.”

Speaking on the Isheri-Shagamu interchange, off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the special adviser said buyers of land in the area should do proper investigation before committing their resources because the state government had acquired two-kilometre breadth of land on either side of the expressway for the Ogun Property and Investment Corporation since 1994.

However, she said the affected villagers ganged up against the government and started selling large parcels of land to members of the public.

“That is why there is uncontrolled development in the area. However, we put our feet down and that is why there is a semblance of order in the axis now,” Sokefun said.

She, however, said that despite the various abuses, the Amosun administration had not taken land from anybody apart from those recommended by the judicial panel of enquiry set up by the governor to look into land administration in the state immediately he assumed office.

The special adviser said a lot of people that rushed to acquire land in the state did so for speculative reasons without adding any value to the land, with about seven agencies of government involved in the allocation of land to different classes of people.

Having met a sordid land administration process on ground, she said her first task was to undertake a holistic reform of the entire system that resulted in the reassessment of operations.

Sokefun said, “When I came in, I saw a report by the International Finance Corporation ranking Ogun State as the 36th on the ease of doing business index in the country, and one of the complaints was the timeline for land transactions.

“To correct this, we set out to automate our processes, but we had to first review our old policies. We carried out a basic process review through a consultant, Aviazon Consulting. The review involved reengineering and a lot of interviews; the firm worked for about six months and generated a workflow covering different areas of land transactions.”

She also said the bureau had commenced the use of the Electronic Data Management System to store vital land information on a central server that would be accessible from connected computers.

“When I came in, everything was 100 per cent manual. Files containing vital land information from the Western Region era were strewn on shelves. We have brought in special scanners and servers to capture records. We have been able to index those files now,” she said.

The next stage, according to her, is the Geographic Information System that will provide up-to-date satellite imageries for the entire state to aid planning, adding that the border communities would have images of 50cm, while others would have 80cm.

“Where we are going is for people to stay in their offices or homes and log on to our website and complete their land transactions. Computers are already installed in our search rooms and people can conduct their searches themselves after paying a token; we don’t want any exploitation,” Sokefun said.

http://www.punchng.com/business/homes-property/urban-development-ogun-plans-37000-hectare-new-town/

19/11/2012
40 private developers lose estates to Ogun new town scheme

A FRESH plan has been launched by the Ogun State government to reorder private estate developments along the Mowe-Ofada-Papalanto and its environs into a new town development scheme as a means to pre-empt the growing incidents of haphazard development of structures and inappropriate planning within the corridor.

Under the proposed scheme, the State’s Land Bureau has began an acquisition of some of the landed property within the axis owned by individuals, communities corporate organisations and private developer to actualize its New Town Project.

Essentially, the government has acquired lands stretching from Odeda, Ifo, Mowe, Ofada and Papalanto axis up to Abeokuta Exchange, where over 40 developers have their estates. The land size was put at about 37 hectares.

Close on the heels of the on-going scheme, several property developers have launched estate developments along the affected areas, while some have started infrastructural works; others only have their signposts to show for years of marketing the projects. Most of the estates are sold under the site and services scheme.

Expectedly, ripples of the effect on the proposed new town scheme would be felt by prospective homeowners, especially those who have committed their life savings on the procurement of plots in affected estates.

But the Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Land Matters, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, who also doubled as the Director General (DG), Land Bureau, said the process is “to avoid the kind of haphazard development being witnessed along the Lagos-Shagamu expressway, with their attendant environmental and security challenges,

According to her, government embarked on the new town project in the Papalanto axis, ostensibly to harmonise the existing infrastructure and correct to anomalies therein there would be the need for ratification exercise to know the affected estates and those to be incorporated into the scheme while compensation would be paid to those whose property would need to give way, “provided they have the necessary documents.”

On the allegation of neglect by Riverview estate residents against Ogun State Government, especially on the non-provision of the needed infrastructure, despite paying charges for the provision of certain facilities, such as drainage and roads, the DG said government has many things seeking its attention than the issues at the estates.

But relying on what she called “the original plan”, she said that Ogun government, right from inception of the state has no plan to sell that portion of land for development purposes, because the terrain is water plane.

Her words: “Since 1999, when Ogun Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), was created, it has never sold that portion of land to anybody.  The two-kilometre Right of Way (RoA) has been under its control and not until 2003-2007 that Isheri Riverview was sold. This is purely a water plane. So, where would government get billions of Naira to develop water lodged area when many places are calling for attention?”

Meanwhile, the Ogun state government has fulfilled its promise to adequately compensate owners of properties to be demolished in the course of constructing a six lane road as it pays the sum of N88.07million to 69 individuals whose property are to be affected by the expansion of the Agbeloba axis of Abeokuta. In a statement by the press Officer of the Bureau of Lands, Mrs. Toluwalope Kowo, handing over the cheques to the claimants, the deputy director of lands, Mr. Isaac Akogun, said that the present administration in the state followed the normal laid down procedures of non-demolition until the compensation was paid.

He said that the yardstick used by the bureau to authenticate whom to be compensated included Certificate of Ownership (CofO), survey and building plan of the properties, noting that government contracted the valuation of the properties to a consultant on property value and payment was based on his verification and final submission.

Mr. Akogun remarked that physical development was part of beautification and urban renewal, adding that after the initial discomfort, residents would benefit in the long run from the infrastructures.

He enjoined residents to always cooperate with government, urging that were necessary, owners of property that could disturb infrastructural growth should surrender them for overall public good, particularly now that that government is paying compensation promptly.

Speaking shortly after collecting his cheque, one of the claimants, Chairman, Ansarudeen Mosque, Agbeloba, Alhaji Moshood Opebiyi appreciated the government for matching his words with action, saying that it had once again displayed its commitment to the welfare of the people.

Speaking in the same vein, another claimant Alhaji Silifat Oke, said the present administration in the state had always displayed its passion for the people, the gesture deserved commendation from all and sundry. Another claimant, Alhaji Usman Adebiyi said he was overwhelmed with governors gesture of coming personally to appeal to them before the commencement of the demolition, pointing out that the money paid by government would help him and others to embark on projects that would ensure their well being.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105163:40-private-developers-lose-estates-to-ogun-new-town-scheme&catid=25:property&Itemid=655

PaulJohn1:



The Ogun State Government has earmarked 37,000 hectares of land for the development of a new town that will straddle the Papalanto axis in Obafemi Owode Local Government all the way to Ifo in Ifo Local Government area.

The new town, which will be part of the Lagos Mega City, will take off from the left hand side of the Papalanto road where Nestle Nigeria Plc has its factory off the Abeokuta-Shagamu dual carriageway and will traverse Mowe, Ofada, Loburo and Ifo communities, among others.