Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu has presented apartment keys as resettlement compensation to14 families displaced during the construction of the iconic Pen-Cinema Bridge in Agege area of the state.
Sanwo-Olu presented the apartment keys to the beneficiaries on Wednesday, at the unveiling of ‘Greater Lagos LBIC Apartments’ inside the existing Ijaye Housing Estate at Pen-Cinema.
The ‘Greater Lagos LBIC Apartments’ are four new buildings comprising 48 units of 2 and 3 bedroom flats, and four units of 4-bedroom maisonette, making 52 apartments in total.
Speaking on the occasion, Sanwo-Olu described the initiative as “a testament of our administration’s commitment towards providing affordable housing for Lagosians.”
Also, Sanwo-Olu opened the newly-built containerised modular classroom block in Vetland Junior Grammar School, Agege.
Sanwo-Olu described the event as a fulfilment of his promise to replicate facilities at the new Elemoro Comprehensive Junior Secondary School in Ibeju-Lekki, across all education districts in the state.
The containerised modular school building comprises nine regular classrooms, three laboratories and four staff rooms, all solar- powered. The pupils, 620 in all, also have the opportunity to learn remotely.
The old buildings were also demolished and the grounds developed into playground comprising sporting facilities.
Sanwo-Olu said: “Our goal is to build schools of the future, public schools that are driven.”
According to him, “Our administration has opened about 16 housing estates and 4,000 apartments since inception in 2019.”
Sanwo-Olu also awarded 13 exceptional teachers with car gifts yesterday.
Commissioner for Education Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo thanked Sanwo-Olu for keeping his promise of increasing the ministry’s yearly budgetary allocation. She described the building as ‘one for the ages’.
Chairman of the Special Committee of Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS) Hakeem Smith noted that ‘four derelict sinking buildings gave way to the new intermodal containerised building which will encourage hybrid learning’. “Pupils can learn remotely because of the type of technology deployed in the school,” he added.
On the resettlement, earlier, Managing Director of the Lagos Building Investment Company, LBIC, Oluwatobiloba Lawal, said, ‘the highlight of this event is the reallocating and handing over of keys to families that were displaced as a result of the construction of Agege Pen-Cinema Bridge free.
“This is another expression of this administration’s uncommon compassion and strong determination to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Lagos,” Lawal stated.
Representative of the alottees, Mrs. Esther Ogunbanjo, who spoke on-behalf of beneficiaries, thanked the government for keeping to its promise of resettling them. According to her, “I have living in my house for over 35 years before the bridge project started five years ago before our homes were demolished.
“We are grateful to Governor Sanwo-Olu for keeping to his promise of resettling us. He has a listening ear and so put joy had no limit. We also promise that everyone in this community will vote for the governor in the 2023 election because his administration keeps to promises,” she added.
