FG committed to reducing housing deficit ―Minister

THE minister of state for power, works and housing, Alhaji Suleiman Hassan, has reemphasised the commitment of the federal government to reduce housing deficit among Nigerians.

The minister, who spoke during an inspection of housing projects in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, on Wednesday, also charged contractors handling the National Housing Projects to strictly adhere to the quality execution of the jobs as specified by the contract agreement.

According to him, the housing projects being executed across the country by the federal government were designed to make affordable housing available to every sector of the society.

Addressing contractors handling the project located on Okene-Lokoja road, Hassan tasked them to execute the projects according to contract specifications.

The minister also appealed to the contractors to plant economic trees at the project sites, stressing that it has become imperative to green the estate, reduce greenhouse gas and climate change impacts at the estate houses.

According to him “We want the contractors to plant trees with economic and medicinal values so that it will be beneficial to the residents”

The team leader and federal controller of housing, Kogi state Mrs Veronica Enesi, while taking the minister round the projects disclosed that the estate consists of 76 units of two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats, adding that 72 units had reached completion stage.

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She also said the project was in phases, saying she planned to execute the remaining phases in other parts of the state so as not to concentrate the projects in the state capital.

Enesi, who disclosed that erosion and wing storm had been the major challenges in the environment, appealed to the federal government to replicate the housing project in the three senatorial districts of the state.

While assuring that the project would be completed before the end of 2018, the federal controller hinted that there will be the second and third phase of the project, appealing to those who may wish to buy but could not get to exercise patience.

One of the contractors handling the project, Mr Bello Moruf, lauded the federal government for the housing project, saying President Shehu Shagari’s regime was the last time Nigerians witnessed such development.