Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has launched the Homeowners Charter policy to regularize land documents in the State.
The governor also announced that the State Government is changing from the current use of the paper-based Certificate of Occupancy to the Electronic Certificate of Occupancy with security features to make it a lot more tamper proof.
Ajimobi, who disclosed this at the official flag off ceremony of the Enumeration and Assessment of properties in the state at the Housing Corporation Ibadan, said the scheme was created to enable home owners in Oyo State, who currently have no title documents like Survey and Building plans to obtain titles with great ease and at very affordable rates of N120,000.00, assuring that every measure has been put in place to ensure the scheme is transparent and devoid of unnecessary bottlenecks.
Ajimobi said, “The electronic C of O will contain the following elements: a scanned photograph of the Owner printed on a copy-proof security paper; an encrypted and enhanced 2D bar code that is unique to the owner; an additional embedded security characteristic containing vital security information that can only be viewed with an enabled barcode reader that is unique to the Owner only; and a distinctive Certificate of Occupancy number that will be very legible for all to see.”
He appealed to property owners in the state to cooperate with members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Oyo State Chapter, who will handle the enumeration and assessment exercise.
The governor said without a dependable data base, neither significant nor sustainable developmental objectives can be achieved. “However, in order to generate, categorise and databank these critical information, the State Government decided to engage the services and collaboration of the Oyo State chapter of The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV),” he said.
In his address, State Chairman of NIESV, Mr Adegboyega Quadri appreciated the state government for establishing a record in the annals of the state by engaging professional for the enumeration exercise, pledging that the Institute will discharge its responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
He noted that the exercise will encourage spatial spread of residential areas and reduce housing deficits.
