"LASG begins housing initiatives, bans okada near banks

The Lagos State Government has commenced its new housing initiatives — Rent-To-Own and Rental Housing policies.The Rent-To-Own policy targets the low and medium income earners and requires individuals to pay five per cent of the value of the housing unit, while the balance is spread over a 10-year period. . . Rental Housing is targeted at the people with regular income who will be required to pay monthly until the required amount is paid on the house. The Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, on Thursday, said the government had allocated 20 per cent of the available housing units in each of the Rent-To-Own estates for Rental Housing. . . He said the initiative would enable the state government to increase the number of Lagosians living in their own homes and reduce slum settlements.He said, “Accessing our housing units had been largely on a cash and carry basis, thereby excluding majority of the citizenry until recently when the mortgage scheme was introduced. . . But a large number are unable to meet the requirements which the mortgage scheme demands. The new initiatives will make houses affordable and accessible to the citizenry.” . . Meanwhile, the state government has started the full enforcement of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law, 2012. It also banned commercial motorcycles (okada) operation near banks and other financial houses’ premises.
 The acting Commissioner for Transportation, Anofiu Elegushi, said all prohibited roads in the traffic law were forbidden for okada operators. Elegushi, who spoke in company with the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Omohimi Edgal, said enforcement would begin immediately. Punch"