Property Titling: Ondo Govt Inaugurates Office Of Home Ownership Charter
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has inaugurated the office of Home Ownership Charter of Ondo State (HOCOS) to provide easy access to property titling.
Akeredolu, while inaugurating the office in Akure on Tuesday, said that it was in fulfilment of the promises made by his administration to render quality service to the people of the state.
While describing the scheme as a landmark achievement, he noted that many people usually faced challenges in the course of having their landed properties titled.
The governor identified some of the challenges as inadequate documentation by property owners as well as use of archaic and inefficient methods in getting certificates of occupancy (CofO) processed.
“All these have, no doubt, made property titling too hectic and burdensome.
“Available records in the state have shown that many landed properties are without registered titles, leaving the property holders open to all sorts of disputes, risks and inability to initiate any viable transaction with such properties.
“As a responsive government, we have resolved to address the lack of reliable property data, which has been the bane of implementing critical developmental plans for effective governance in housing programmes.
“This has also affected citizens’ access to capital for development purposes where they require the use of their properties as collateral to access funds.
“I am glad to inform you that we have chosen to implement a customer-friendly approach to procuring property titles, known as HOCOS,” he said.
The governor noted that the scheme had a mandate of taking land titling from analogue to digital method, with the aim of ensuring transparency, fast-tracking and repositioning of land administration processes in the state.
“This scheme, for now, is limited to residential developed properties. This will be an advantage for residential property owners to have their interests titled for the purpose of enhancing their economic value and activities.
“Let me state that HOCOS is fast, cheaper and less- cumbersome in pressing land titles. So, I encourage every home owner without land title in the state to take advantage of this rare opportunity and get their properties titled,” he said.
Akeredolu further said that the scheme was specially instituted to allow all home owners in the state to obtain their titles with ease.
He said that applicants could now apply with the fundamental documents, such as survey plan, evidence of ownership and payment of a reduced flat rate, to have their titles processed.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Mr Raimi Aminu, saluted the governor’s efforts at developing the state. Aminu reeled out the various interventions of the governor in his ministry, adding that so much had been done to develop the state and its residents.
