Ogun Plans Physical Planning Survey To Aid Development
Ogun State Government says it will conduct physical planning and socio-economic surveys as part of its effort towards ensuring equitable distribution of economic growth and sustainable development across the nooks and crannies of the State in the next fiscal year.
The State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun said this at the ongoing 2018 budget defence before members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation led by Hon. Akanbi Bankole.
Sokefun, while explaining that the policy thrust of the agency was to effectively control the Land Use in the State through strict compliance with the appropriate development plans such as master, structure and local development plans, added that the agency in the next fiscal year planned to prepare master plans for the containment of urban sprawl along Lagos /Ibadan expressway.
The Commissioner represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban and Physical Planning, Tpl Stephen Adewolu proposed to prepare local plans, action areas and subject plans as required for the implementation of new/expanded towns and government city projects.
To achieve the ministry’s objectives, Sokefun proposed a total budget of N738.6m out of which N498.6m was set aside for capital projects, while N240m was earmarked for recurrent expenditure with the ministry’s revenue target put at N856.5m.
In a related development, the State Bureau of Lands and Survey has assured of its readiness to put in place mechanisms towards checkmating land grabbing and speculation across the State.
The Director General of Lands and Survey, Biyi Ismail said this while taking his turn to defend the budget estimates of the bureau for next year with an assurance that it would ensure improved land administration system and ensure enforcement of Land Use Act.
Ismail, who stated that the agency would facilitate land acquisition for development by government and private estate developers as well as prospective investors, also proposed a total budget estimate of N1.352B, out of which N917m was meant for capital projects, while the remaining N435m would cater for recurrent expenditure with its revenue set at N16B.
Defending the Budget proposal of the State Housing Corporation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Ach. Jumoke Akinwunmi said the corporation planned to build about 1,500 units of residential commercial buildings in Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu and Ijebu -Ode areas.
Akinwunmi also said that her corporation would ensure the completion of at least 850 building of different plans across the three Senatorial Districts in the State before the end of next year.
