By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of state for Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has said the administration would only work with competent developers who can meet up with affordable housing plan.
She said those with the capacity would help the government succeed in it efforts towards bridging the housing deficit in the territory.
The minister stated this during a meeting with the management of Tayan Group, an Estate Developer in Abuja.
She said also that such partnership would fast track the execution of the presidential mandate to deliver 5,000 affordable housing units to residents of the territory.
Aliyu, however warned that all development in the nation’s capital must comply with all engineering rules and regulations of construction within the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister also stated that the administration would only partner with companies with financial capacity to execute a project within 18 months period in order to avoid the mistakes of the past of littering the city with abandoned projects.
According to her, “I have seen your beautiful projects, but hoping that the property has valid documents and certified by the Federal Capital Territory Administration. All property in the territory must comply with all engineering rules and regulations of construction within the Federal Capital Territory.
“I want to use this opportunity to inform you that under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and under the 13 presidential deliverables given to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, affordable housing is given priority. And in this affordable housing project, we intend to carry along competent companies of repute whose integrity have been proven by the various jobs they have executed within the nation.
“Also one of the areas we are looking at is the financial muscles to execute a project going by the paucity of funds in the country, and any project awarded must be executed within a certain period of time.
“As student of history, when a project is being initiated by any administration and it is not completed, then it becomes an abandoned project. But under the leadership of our indefatigable president Muhammadu Buhari, he has insisted that we must complete all abandoned and ongoing projects.
“Besides that, the only new projects we can execute now are projects that will have meaningful impact on the citizenry; mainly the road construction, housing to give shelter, water, healthcare and transportation. So, housing of course is Mr. President priority”.
The minister also noted that one of the cries and challenges of people who work in the Federal Capital Territory was a place of abode, stressing that in order to ease that burden and to reduce the difficulties, the president has ordered the provisions of affordable housing.
