The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has decried the high cost of rent that has deprived small civil servants access to accommodation in the capital city.
The minister said that there are so many big houses built in Abuja that are unoccupied because of the exorbitant rent charged by landlords. This is even as he made it clear that his government is looking into low cost housing for such civil servants.
“We have too many highbrow houses in Abuja which have remained vacant despite the housing deficit the workers are experiencing in the city.”
Muhammad Bello spoke today, Wednesday, when he received a delegation of the Federal Mortgage Bank led by its Acting Managing Director, Mr. Richard Esien that in his office.
“What we need today in Abuja are low income houses which low income earners can afford and that is what my Administration would further encourage to take care of the less privileged people in the society.”
The Minister promised that his Administration is prepared to enhance the relationship between the FCT Administration and the Federal Mortgage Bank for the mutual benefit of the two organizations.
He said also decried a situation where estates were built in the past without provision of recreational facilities, children play ground as well as conversion of green areas to build houses, he directed that henceforth, all new estates must make provision for such essential facilities.
The Minister directed that a green area be made available for the Federal Mortgage Bank to develop into a befitting Public Park for usage at weekends by the residents free of charge; adding that such gesture should be the Bank’s corporate social responsibility to the immediate society it is operating in.
Speaking earlier, the Acting Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank, Mr. Richard Esien sought for plots of land to deliver houses to Nigerians in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate of 5,000 houses yearly.
He said that it is only Bwari Area Council out of the six Area Councils in the FCT that has complied with the FMBN Act of contributing two and half percent of all workers earning and therefore appealed to the Minister to prevail on the remaining five Area Councils to make their contributions according to the law. [myad]
