I was at the Ministerial Platform yesterday and was shocked that the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development had, since the inception of the present administration generated over 8.1 billion naira from tender fee, title registration fee, consent fee, C of O processing fee, survey fee, premiun on land etc when EVERY Nigerian know nothing has happened under the Jonathan administration. It also granted and/or created; 3,798 C of Os 1,756 Consents for transfer of land titles 3,787 Serviced plots 43,126 housing units And, with pictorial evidence showed that it had developed a 30 year Road Map for sustainable transformation of the Housing and Urban Development Sector, a Zero-draft National Land Policy, Revised the National Building Code, launched the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company, initiated several local and foreign partnership for mass housing delivery, developed modern methods of fast housing delivery at cheaper rates and established a factory to produce the raw materials for same, completed town housing projects at Ruxton Road, Ikoyi and Abesan in Lagos, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Apo, Lugbe and Gwarimpa in FCT, Asaba Delta State, Odukpani in Cross Rivers State, Gonin Gora in Kaduna State, Gombe in Gombe State, Osogbo in Osun State, Makurdi in Benue State and Owerri in Imo State. All these aside of the various FMBN sponsored estates in Abuja, Kulende/Sobi in Kwara State, Akko in Gombe State, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Asaba in Delta State, Jalingo in Taraba State, Kafanchan , Kaduna and Zaria in Kaduna State, Dungai in Bauchi State, Osisioma and Umuahia in Abia State, Juwapye in Nasarawa State etc. These are just few of the projects, including roads, federal secretariats etc. AND ALL THESE WHERE NOTHING IS WORKING?! It only reminds me of a man who visited his village from his base in Lagos State and when asked to take his neighbour with him said Haba, Lagos is not easy o. The response was As LAgos was not easy for you and you got a job, bought a car, married etc, may it not be easy for all of us here! Last Line: From the presentation, I gathered that the Ministry had embarked on Settlement Upgrade in Kano and Rivers State and I kept wondering What is the crime of the average man in Abuja. Why should their settlements continue to be demolished to give more houses to those who have more than enough, rather than being upgraded to make it worthy of being lived in by human beings.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 11:01:06 +0000