Victims of demolition exercises and low-income earners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will soon get respite, as the FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed, has approved the allocation of 50 hectares of land to build the first phase of the Abuja Social Housing Scheme to cater for the affected people.
The minister disclosed this while receiving the former United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Robin Sanders who led a delegation of an American-based company – American Building Systems International to his office.
Mohammed said that the FCT Administration would continue to partner with genuine investors to build decent and affordable houses to all classes of residents of the FCT in order to reduce housing deficit in Nigeria’s capital.
He recalled that about 1,000 hectares of land had been set aside for the Federal Mortgage Bank to build decent and affordable houses to take care of the same category of people by arranging a proper mortgage system.
According to him, the FCT Administration has embarked on demolition of illegal structures in the 250 square kilometers of the Federal Capital City comprising Phases I-V in order to rescue the Abuja Master Plan that has been badly bastardized.
The minister reiterated that all those who lost their houses to the demolition exercise would benefit for the social housing; adding however that his administration will not condone impunity or illegalities.?
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Sule, the minister said his administration is determined to correct all anomalies as it concerns housing development in consonance with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
His words: “My administration is working round the clock to correct the housing anomaly as it does not entirely believe that supportive staff be accommodated only at the satellite towns far away from where they are expected to provide services.”
Earlier in her remarks, Sanders said her visit was in respect to her interest to economic development particularly in the areas of social housing and agriculture.
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