Federal Capital Territory minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, revealed on Thursday that some 10,000 houses for the poor will be built in Abuja next year.
At a ministerial-sectoral update on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s one year in office, Wike announced a two-months free ride for FCT citizens from Tuesday.
The minister, who lamented the high corruption in Abuja land allocation, said “one of the most difficult problems in this FCT is about land. Where corruption is, is in the land department. As I speak to you as minister, it is one area that I have been battling with, but I will defeat them.”
“Even to make land affordable for people to build houses, which is what we are supposed to do, but most of this land has one encumbrance or the other, why? Double allocation, and this double allocation is by those in land department and AGIS. They make it difficult for people to acquire land”
He said “Mr. President, has approved that in our next budget, we want build a Renewed Hope City. This is for affordable houses, not for the big men. We are going to provide infrastructure and build for them and allocate to the poor. We have in our mind to build 10,000 houses for the poor.”
On the provision of free ride on the Abuja Light rail, Wike said: President Tinubu would inaugurate the rail project on Monday, while it would start commercial services on Tuesday.
“For those who are saying that the rail system has already been commissioned, don’t make a mistake. What was earlier commissioned was the building. What we want to commission on Monday is commercial operations.
“If you are going to the airport, from here to airport is 20 minutes. Seeing is believing. Go on Tuesday. We are going to allow for free rides for two months.
“You know, Mr. President, he can even say extend it to six months just to reduce the pain of our people. That is renewed hope agenda. When you say something, you do it,” Wike said.
The minister also threatened to punish violators of Abuja masterplan in the popular Gwarimpa Estate in Abuja.
“There is no tussle between the Federal Housing Authority, FHA and FCT. The FCT gave the land to FHA and all the houses are under FHA. However FCT functions to ensure that development are in line with the masterplan and when I came on board I set up a committee and to ensure that all those that have distorted the masterplan to be fished out.
If you build for residential but convert to commercial then you revert back or we bring it down. You cannot be a leader without stepping on toes, what is important is your coincidence are you doing the right it or not.
