Nigeria: FG commends Rivers over land donation for housing scheme

WorldStage Newsonline—The Federal Government of Nigeria has commended the Rivers State Government for donating over 10 hectares of land to enable it execute one of its housing programmes.

The Minister of Housing, Ms Amal Pepple who said this when she inspected the parcel of land in Iriebe, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state stated that “we are very happy to have this collaborative effort because I am not happy that I have not really done anything in Rivers state.”

Pepple who was accompanied on the inspection tour by the Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Mr Marshal Uwom also said that with the land, she could now put the stamp of her ministry ”which is the stamp of President Goodluck Jonathan in housing in Rivers state because it is his government and we are all working and ensuring that whatever he wants to do, we do them.”

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The minister described the parcel of land which overlooks the Aba Express Road as “a very choice property because it is on the road and in a developed area.”

This, she said would make it easy to bring in light, water and other infrastructure into the place and being a solid land, there would be no need for refilling.

The minister also promised that the execution of the project would take off almost immediately through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit of her ministry, adding that an indigenous  contractor would be used because “ President Jonathan under his transformation agenda is determined to provide affordable and accessible houses for Nigerians.”

On what her ministry had done in other states and the numerous programmes embarked upon to ensure that Nigerians get affordable houses, she said include Rent-to-Own, floating a new mortgage company known as Nigerian Financing Company to make more mortgages available to Nigerians while Diaspora Mortgage Financing will be for Nigerians abroad.

In his remarks, Uwom promised that the state government was ever ready to assist the Federal Government in achieving its housing programmes in the state. 

Source