· Hope of 4, 104 housing units by October dashed
· No sites for 896 other units in area councils
· Delay not failure – FCTA
Over two years after the idea of a 4,104 housing units project was made public by the FCT Administration, not much seems to have been done in actualizing the plan of commissioning the Muhammadu Buhari Staff Affordable Housing Estate Karshi, by October 2022, as the site still remains fallow.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, had in 2021 performed the official site handover and ground breaking ceremony for the project to signpost Nigeria’s 61st independence anniversary.
Aliyu, had at the event and different fora, eloquently stated that the 4,104 staff housing unit will be ready for commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari by 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 62nd anniversary.
The administration had in September 2020 mooted the plan of providing affordable housing at Karshi as part of efforts of achieving the presidential deliverables of providing 5, 000 housing unit for residents and indigenes of the territory as captured in the 13 points presidential deliverables for the FCTA.
The Muhammadu Buhari Staff Affordable Housing Estate project alone covers 4,104 housing with the remaining 896 units to be spread across other area councils.
While many felt the project and proposed commissioning date was a tall dream, the minister maintained that the project was a bold step by the administration towards addressing the deficit in the housing sector especially among civil servants.
She assured that layouts have been identified for affordable housing provision in all the six area councils, while development plans have been prepared for the layouts and prototype designs have been produced for various housing types.
However, the FCTA seem to have failed on the mandate, even at Karshi, where the project is still at the site clearing stages.
A visit to the site shows that not a single block has been added to the ones laid by the Minister of State during the ground breaking ceremony in 2021.
Inside sources confirm to The Abuja Inquirer that one of the major drawbacks to the project was the issue of compensation to original inhabitants.
One of the sources, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that the contractors were not able to mobilise to site as youths of the community always forced contractors off the project site insisting on receiving compensation before allowing the project to commence.
However, not until June, 2022, did the FCT Administration flag off payment for compensation in preparations for the commencement of the project.
The Public Relations Officer of the Satellite Towns Development Department, STDD, Felicia Meeme, told our correspondent that due process had to be followed so that nothing was left out.
Meeme had in a chat with The Abuja Inquirer, disclosed that the compensations have just been completed and the project will commence soon.
At the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries in June, the STDD coordinator, Obinna Ogwuegbu, said the administration was pleased that the project was finally coming to fruition months after the initial hiccups experienced after the ground breaking ceremony.
According to him, the office painstakingly went through every record of the beneficiaries over a long period of time to ensure that proper figures and exact persons were enumerated and compensated in line with its extant laws.
While appreciating the contractors for making funds available, the coordinator said, “The fact that investors can go out of their way to put their money down for compensation despite the fact that they are going to build houses in collaboration and partnership with the FCTA Administration is highly commendable.”
Earlier, the Director Resettlement and Compensation, Mrs. Perpetua Ohamah, stated that it does not matter how long it has taken for the project to commence as her office did everything to ensure that international best practices were followed.
The director commended the Sarki of Karshi and his people for their patience and cooperation, saying that the siting of the new project will no doubt bring about the needed development to the area.
