By Aichienede Akhabue Goodluck
Over the years, availability and access to government housing programs have been a major challenge in Edo State.
Just like many of my colleagues, the dream of becoming a house owner during retirement was soon becoming a mirage against the backdrop of the previous government’s insensitivity to the huge housing deficit in the State as well as the high cost of patronizing private real estate developers whose client base are most often the well-to-do in the society.
This has in no small measure affected my productivity and sometimes gives me serious concern as to what life will become of me and my immediate family should I fail to own a house before or during my retirement from the civil service.
However, the respite was soon to be coming my way, with the introduction of the Emotan Gardens Estate in 2018. At first, I was skeptical to subscribe due to negative past experiences of how some real estate agencies and even the government had dashed the hope of many who trusted their investment in them.
But given the transparent and accountable mechanism put in place by the management of the Emotan Gardens Estate in its quest to deliver affordable housing to the people, I had to subscribe eventually.
The uniqueness of the Emotan Gardens Estate was the seamless subscribing process that I had to go through, as all necessary documentation for the housing program was done transparently without any fears or suspicion of foul play or extortion.
Similarly, the affordability and access to the housing program, particularly for low-income earners like me, were also other ingredients that encouraged me to subscribe to the program. This is because, after subscribing to the housing program, I was still able to meet the basic demands of my family.
With the completion of phase one of the project with standard facilities, such as high quality building materials, constant power supply from the Ossiomo Power Plant, perimeter fencing, a good road network, the secure and convivial ambiance of the estate; and in keeping to their mandate of providing quality and affordable housing, the Emotan Gardens Estate, has undoubtedly rekindled my hope on the government.
As a subscriber and beneficiary of the housing program, my productivity has improved significantly as a civil servant because of the eco-friendly atmosphere that the estate has created.
In the same vein, the estate has served as a buffer for me in the light of the current global economic crisis which has adversely affected the cost of building materials as well as the cost of land acquisition. Today, my social status has also improved due to the respect and accolades I received from friends and family members and society at large.
I’m indeed proud of myself and thankful to God for the wisdom given me to leverage the Emotan Gardens Estate.
