"Stop Accusing Me, I Never Promised Low-Cost Housing" – Gov Fashola

Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday [May 7] said he did not at any time promise to provide low-cost housing for residents of the state.

Fashola spoke in Ikeja at the monthly draw for the allocation of homes to residents under the state Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) which produced another 76 beneficiaries.

He said that criticisms that homes, under the state’s mortgage scheme are not low-cost, are unfair, adding that they are aimed at discrediting the good intentions of the state government.

The governor said that his administration had always promised the provision of affordable housing for which home-seekers could pay conveniently over a period of time.

Fashola said:
Some people have criticised us that homes under our mortgage scheme are not low-cost, but these people cannot point to one place where our government promised to build low-cost houses. “We did not promise low-cost housing.
What we promised was affordable housing and people should not accuse us of not doing what we did not promise.
I have always reiterated since I was campaigning as a governorship candidate in 2007 that my commitment to the people of Lagos is affordable housing and that is what we are delivering.

Fashola said that he could not have promised low-cost housing when there was no low-cost land, no low-cost labour and building materials and when the exchange rate of the Nigerian currency to others was high.