The Emotan Garden Estate being constructed by Edo State government, the first housing estate by the government in over a decade, has continued to generate mixed feelings just as the first phase of the project nears completion.
Construction work on the estate, located in Idogbo a suburb of Benin, was flagged off by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo early this year.
The estate, Daily Trust reports, which is the first gated estate in the state, sits on 70 hectares of land and upon completion will have 1,400 units of different housing types.
Our reporter, who visited the estate, observed that over 100 housing units have been completed in the first phase while linking roads and other infrastructure are being put in place.
Speaking with Daily Trust, the chairperson, Edo State Development and Property Agency (EDPA), Isoken Omoh, said Emotan Garden was a flagship of the state government being developed in partnership with Mixta Real Estate Company under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
She said the estate is proposed to offer a lifestyle that is comparative to estates in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and other major cities in the world.
Emotan Garden, according to her, will be replicated in the three senatorial districts of the state.
“Upon completion, we will have I,404 units of housing of different housing types. We have two bedrooms and terrace in cluster, two bedrooms joined in semi-detached, three bedrooms semi-detached, four bedrooms detached, flats and single family duplexes.
“There is a shopping area, leisure parks and garden, schools, praying areas for churches and mosques and police station among others,” she said.
Isoken said the houses go for between N5 million and N30 million depending on unit type.
“The cheapest housing unit is N5.7 million, while the highest is N30 million and we have a payment plan of about 18 months. So people can buy outright and also buy by mortgage.
“The patronage has been good so far. The first phase has been completely sold out and we are about to commence the second phase now,” she stated.
A resident, Issac Osa, said the concept of the estate is good but it was not meant for low income earners.
“For over a decade now, Edo State government has not developed any estate, either for civil servants or the public. It is good but it would be better if the price can be brought down,” he said.
Another resident, Osaze Edigin, who is also the public relations officer of Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDOSCO) said: “I am sure the cost is high because they are partnering with private investors. But I think it is better to have such project with private investors than not having it at all.”
Also speaking, Osamu Abel said though some people think the houses were on the high side but it is a good development because it will bring down the cost of rent in the state.
“To me N5 million is not too much because if one has to buy the land and build by himself, it will be costlier than that but as one is bringing out the money at once, they think it is on the high side,” he said.
According to him, government should carry out similar estates in all the local governments of the state to ease the housing problem.
On his part, a resident who only gave her name as Joan, said if the estate is completed, it will reduce the high cost of rent in the state capital, noting that landlords often increased rent yearly.
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