Reps urge govt to rehabilitate FESTAC, Satellite towns

Move for fresh constitutional reforms

MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Mr. Oghene Emma Egoh at the weekend urged the authorities to begin the rehabilitation of key infrastructure in both Festac and Satellite towns within the Lagos metropolis.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja shortly after members of the lower legislative chamber commenced their six weeks annual recess, Egoh said it has become incumbent on the Federal Government to come to the aid of tens of hundreds of Nigerians residing in the affected areas whose lives are at risk from looming outbreak of epidemic due to their deplorable conditions.

Meanwhile, the Lower Chamber has set up a 22-man committee to review existing laws, with emphasis on obsolete and anachronistic provisions.

Speaker Yakubu Dogara, while inaugurating the committee, said that the review of laws since the 1999 constitution came into effect has become very necessary, as the statute books contain many anachronistic provisions, including those as ridiculous as fines of N20 and N50 for major infractions.

Egoh, who represents Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency of Lagos, had in a motion adopted on the floor of the House maintained that Festac and its surrounding satellite towns had gone from bad to worse.

At the plenary session, the lawmakers while adopting the motion called on the Federal Government to direct the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to as a matter of urgency commence immediate rehabilitation of Festac and satellite towns.

They also mandated the Committee on Housing and Habitat (when constituted) to liaise with the FHA to ensure compliance and report back to it.

Justifying why he initiated the motion, Egoh said: “The motion perhaps is the most important motion I have moved so far in my legislative career. Its important because it bothers on the well being of the people in my constituency living in Festac which happened to be a Federal Housing estate.”