The Ogun State government has lauded Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited for abiding by the rules and regulations of the state on real estate business.The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, said this when the firm paid a courtesy visit to the commissioner at the ministry in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

The commissioner described the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, as a real estate expert who has taken the business to a great level.

According to him, the Pelican Valley CEO is a firm that has complied with all the real estate standards set by the Gateway State.

The commissioner said he was excited over the novel Pelican/Gateway Economic Autarky Project, an emerging self-sustaining economy that will serve as the bedrock for sustainable urbanisation and economic independence in the Kobape-Masa axis of the state.

Odunlami assured the company that the state government would support the dream project and other initiatives.

He eulogised the real estate operator for going the whole hog to follow due process in obtaining the state government’s approval for its estates.

He added that by virtue of the state’s new law, which will become operational soon, Pelican Valley could freely advertise its estates in Ogun State, using radio stations and other electronic media without any hindrance.

He said, “There is a law and regulations guiding that now that will soon go into operation. By that law, it will be a criminal offence for you to advertise land for sale in Ogun State on radio stations without Ogun State government permit. It is criminal.

“It is even criminal for radio stations to begin to do such advertisement without confirming from the owner of the estate who wants to advertise to see whether the estate is approved by the Ogun State government.

“So, the radio stations have to ask for a copy of approval to check and we advise that they check with us if that estate was actually approved before they can help them to broadcast on the radio stations because they also stand the risk of criminal negligence for running such advert.

“That is why for an outfit like Pelican Valley Estate that has done the due diligence, they can go to the radio stations and advertise freely because we can always validate that they are duly approved by the Ogun State government.”

In his address, Adeyemo emphasised the critical role of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in economic growth and development, noting that it could not be overemphasised.

While hailing the commissioner on the achievements recorded so far, he urged him to uphold the principles guiding the ministry by putting in place necessary mechanisms that would enhance urban developments.

He, however, proposed a partnership with the state government in order to drive investments, create jobs, as well as an avenue for food security.

Adeyemo appealed to the state government to improve the infrastructural needs of the area, especially by fixing the 1.5km Kobape-Masa single-lane road to quicken developments in the area.

“The emergence and the launch of Pelican Brief Estate in Kobape had played an integral role in generation of revenue for the state government, ranging from various stamp duties from clients and investors, also bringing over 1,000 Nigerians in Diaspora into the Ogun State government’s tax dragnet, through payment of stamp duties and building approval levies, apart from the corresponding job creation effects of our project.

“Pelican Brief Estate had attracted over 1,000 investments from Nigerians in the Diaspora to Kobape.”