Ibara GRA Regeneration Project on Course, Gov Abiodun assures

The Urban Regeneration Scheme of the Dapo Abiodun-led administration in Ogun State is progressing with the completion of over 150 houses out of more than 200 planned for the Ibara Government Reservation Area (GRA) in Abeokuta, the State capital. Speaking after inspecting the houses, the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, said his administration would ensure that Abeokuta has modern houses that befit its status as the state capital.

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Mr Abiodun, who described the former state of the GRA as an eyesore, noted that the dilapidated structures, apart from serving as a haven for criminals, were occupied illegally by people who made use of the buildings as their personal properties. He said: “Sometime in March, having held different townhall meetings and consultations with those that were living here, most of whom were illegal inhabitants—some as a matter of fact were illegal and turned themselves into landlords, renting out spaces to people illegally.

“But, nonetheless, because it was not our desire to make people homeless, we discussed with them, we agreed on different terms and we managed to do what previous administrations either did not envision or have the foresight to do, or did not have the political will to achieve.

“We were able to convince people that the future is here and now and Ogun State capital cannot be looking like what it was looking like, particularly the high brow area called the GRA in Abeokuta. So in March, we began to clean up this place, and began to demolish and implement the regeneration scheme.

“In all, we have what we planned, about 213 to 220 houses that are earmarked to be built here, either directly by the state government, Ministry of Housing, or by allocation to others to build in line with stipulated designs. Till date, we have about 150 houses already built, others at different stages of completion and this is just the beginning.”

He assured that similar regeneration project would be carried out in other GRAs across the State to provide modern houses for the people of the State. “Let me assure you, this level of development is not situated just in Ogun Central. As we are building and generating in Ogun Central and Abeokuta, we’ve done the same in Yewa, we have affordable housing units in Ilaro.

“Kobape has almost 600 houses and still counting. In Sagamu, we have other affordable housing scheme in Sagamu and Iperu of course, leading to the airport and in Ijebu-Ode,” he added. He stated that his administration would not take its eyes off its set goals by being distracted by frustrated individuals, noting that while they had the opportunity, they failed to do exactly what his government is doing due to lack of foresight or not understanding what was required of them.

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“We are doing what we promised the people of Ogun State that entrusted their mandate to us and to them we remain accountable. Not to the few faceless Facebook, faceless Twitter sponsored media; we are not accountable to those few people.

“I am throwing a challenge to my detractors and opponents, I stand to be corrected, if we have not constructed more roads in six years than anybody else has constructed in a 16 year period, I think that is enough to reply those that are sponsoring faceless videos and negative narratives on social media,” he concluded.