Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi at the weekend launched the Homeowners Charter policy to enable home owners regularise their land documents.
The governor said the policy is part of his administration’s measures to lessen the pains of the economic downturn.
Ajimobi also announced that the state will change from paper-based Certificate of Occupancy to electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e-C-of-O), with security features to make it more copy-proof.
The governor spoke at the launch of the enumeration and assessment of property at the Housing Corporation in Ibadan, the state capital.
He said the scheme was created to enable home owners without title documents, such as survey and building plans, to obtain them with ease at the rate of N120,000.
Ajimobi assured residents the scheme will be transparent and devoid of bottlenecks.
“This is one of the measures …by our government not only to lessen the pains of the economic downturn but to also empower them for greater economic possibilities.
“The electronic C-of-O will contain the following elements: scanned photograph of the owner printed on a copy-proof security paper; encrypted and enhanced 2D bar code unique to the owner; additional embedded security characteristic containing vital security information to be viewed with an enabled barcode reader unique to the owner and a distinctive Certificate of Occupancy number legible for all to see.”
Ajimobi urged residents, especially property owners, to cooperate with the state’s Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), which will handle the enumeration and assessment.
The governor noted that the essence of the enumeration is to generate data for sustainable developmental objectives.
He said: “Without a dependable data base, neither significant nor sustainable developmental objectives can be achieved. However, to generate, categorise and databank these critical information, the state government decided to engage the services and collaboration of the Oyo State chapter of NIESV.
“Our decision to appoint and work with this institution as Consultants for this very important assignment is a further testimony of this administration’s recognition of the role of professional bodies as able stakeholders in the daunting task of returning our dear state to its traditional and enviable position of the pacesetter.”
