


NHP: FG Hands Over Housing Keys to Beneficiaries in Osun State
......Lists Out Requirements To Qualify To Access The Houses
......Engineer Akinkumi Akinola and Mr. Adelani Oladosu Shuaibu Receive Keys To Their Apartments
Federal government today, June 29, 2022 handed over housing keys to beneficiaries who have completed payment for their houses under the first phase (phase I) of the National Housing Scheme at Abere, AIG Zone 11, Oshogbo, Osun State.
Speaking before handing over the keys to the beneficiaries the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr.Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, represented by the Osun State Controller of Housing,TPL. Nureen Salako Abioye said, "ln Osun State today we have four Nigerians who have fully paid for the houses of their choice within the estate comprising 76 -units of one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedrooms."
Fashola disclosed that the beneficiaries had declared interest in buying the houses of their choice under the National Housing Programme( NHP) when their sale began and had successfully subscribed through the website of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on https://nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng/ and had also completed payment.
The Minister noted that the essence of opening the portal was to ensure that interested Nigerians could access the houses without being impeded.
" We have therefore offered all these housing units to members of the general public in a non- discriminatory way by opening the portal to ensure that those interested are not inhibited by any artificial obstacle and allocation will be made on the basis of those who apply and pay on first come , first serve basis," Fashola explained.
On the issue of payment, Fashola said, "We have offered flexible payment options like Mortgages and Rent-to-Own which we encourage applicants to pursue, adding that anyone who could make an outright payment could indicate interest but that wouldn't be a condition for eligibility for accessibility to those houses."
Fashola , while calling on Nigerians to own a house among the completed houses across the 35 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, listed the requirements interested buyers need to upload on the ministry's portal to include;
i. Current Passport Photograph in JPEG and PNG format,
ii. Most recent copy of your tax clearance/payslip in PDF format,
iii. Means of identification (National ID, Driver's license, International Passport) in digital JPEG format;
iv. Letter of recommendation from any Primary Mortgage ( for mortgage subscribers);
v. Evidence of 10% initial payment deposit ( for mortgage subscribers only).
While encouraging Osun state citizens and Nigerians at large to leverage on units of houses yet to be sold, the Minister said, "The advantage of owning a house in our NHP Estates includes the well - spaced sizes such as: one bedroom unit is about 60-70 sq.meters, two - bedroom units 76- 103sq. meters and three -bedroom units 110 - 137 sq. meters, adding that such generous spaces couldn't be compared with what is obtainable in the common market."
Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mr. Bashir Nura Alkali, represented by the Chief Town Planner, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, TPL Danbaba Yahaya Haruna, revealed that "The philosophy behind the National Housing Programme is the provision of pilot scheme that is affordable, accessible and acceptable as contained in the National Housing Policy."
According to the Permanent Secretary, the cultural and climatic peculiarities of the regions within the countries were majorly considered before embarking on the projects.
"The approach to design and use of materials takes cognizance of the cultural and climatic peculiarities of regions while responding to the tenets of the Building Energy and Efficiency Code ( BEEC) being championed by the Ministry," Alkali added.
In line with the vision of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in creating job for Nigerians, the Permanent Secretary said that under the National Housing Programme over 1,500 building contractors have been engaged since it began in the year 2016 over 15,000 direct jobs and 55,000 indirect jobs have also been created.
He added that a total of 6000 housing units is being built by the ministry in 45 sites out of which 2,666 have been completed in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Timi of Ede, Oba Nurudeen Adesola Lamisa, in a goodwill message, commended the Federal Government for building houses for Nigerians and notably for siting the Estate in Ede town.
Oba Adesola Lamisa noted, "The aim and objective of having this kind of project is to boost the economy and social life of the inhabitants.We know that in few months time this place will become a market," saying everyone in the state will see and feel the impact of this National Housing Programme in the state.
One of the beneficiaries, Engineer Akinkunmi Akinola, who was represented by his brother, Engineer Abayomi Akinola, while giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the beneficiaries applauded the Federal Government for constructing the housing estates for its citizens pointing out that accessing the National Housing Programme portal and its method of payment for his brother's choice of house among many units were easy and straightforward.
Engr. Akinola who assured the Federal Government of proper use of the facility also appealed for an expansion of the housing programme in the state to accommodate more members of the public.
BRF: The Omoluabi Eko At 59
By Hakeem Bello
"What will protect all of us when all is said and done is law and order."
If there is a quiz to guess which Nigerian public servant said the above, chances are most will answer: Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF).
Yes, of course. The quintessential lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is not just a champion of Infrastructure development and deep thinker, he is a stickler for law and order.
He is 59 today.
Quite perceptively and against the run of high public expectation, BRF decided to remain president of his home rather than joining the initially crowded train for the Presidency of the country. But without a doubt, his confidence in, devotion and commitment to the development of Nigeria remains ever unwavering.
Indeed, BRF has become a brand name for efficiency, effectiveness, diligence, commitment and tenacity of purpose. The name will continue to resonate long after he leaves public office and whenever and wherever there is a need for devotion to duty, progressive idealism and commitment to Law and Order.
Probably because of his desire to serve away from the mainstream leadership - which agrees perfectly with his often-stated philosophy of commitment to service to one’s fatherland even “without a title or an office" - his engagements with the public will continue to revolve around the preoccupation with the attainment of a better society, governed by law and order, for all.
Just as Gabfest, a youth-focused conversation platform created in 2016 to commemorate BRF's birthday. This year's edition will explore the theme, “Why am I Voting?”
This topic which agrees significantly with the mood of the nation, currently undergoing the processes leading to the 2023 General Elections, will seek to examine the motivations of a cross-section of Nigerians behind their electoral choices.
During Gabfest 6, carefully selected panelists will interrogate their personal desires and expectations in relation to the Nigerian elections. Is their focus on transparency? Is it on better power or healthcare? Is potable water their challenge? Do they intend to vote across party, gender or ethnic lines? Have they voted in the past and for what position? These are just some examples of the questions that will hopefully yield a robust and lively discussion.
Having addressed such testy questions as, “Restructuring for a Better Life – Lessons from Brexit” and “What can the President Do for me?” in previous public lectures, you can trust Mr Fashola for encouraging a discourse on such a simple yet challenging question as “Why am I Voting?”
Perhaps as a prelude to this and a proof of his avowed commitment to the essence of performing basic civic obligations and maintaining order to keep society functioning optimally, Fashola in a virtual presentation he made recently at a symposium in Lagos with the theme, “Driving and the Nigerian in You” interrogated the nexus between individual conduct and public well-being.
In the presentation, he sought to graphically illustrate that it is neither solely the failure on the part of government nor lack of good roads that cause traffic jams or road mishaps on the nation’s highways and intra-city roads but the non-compliance to Law and Order by some members of the public including even the supposed law enforcers in some instances.
According to him, “We are converting what we built for traffic movement into other uses. It is totally against traffic and all other kinds of laws. So, I still say that traders cannot trade on our streets, buses cannot park on the sidewalks. Pedestrians must leave the roads. They must remain on the sidewalks that separate pedestrians from motorists. If these things happen, we will leave the stress, the tensions, accidents and the deaths that we experience as a result of those anomalies.”
The point must, perhaps, be made here that in advocating the adherence to Law and Order by the citizens, BRF has not in any way tried to shield the elite and the leadership from the guilt of infractions of law and order in their duties.
As a matter of fact, there are very many occasions when in his tour of duties as Governor or Minister, he had personally enforced the law, especially traffic laws, on government officials including high ranking police and army officers.
But he, however, maintains that it is incumbent on all citizens to insist on the compliance to Law and Order whenever their rights are being infringed upon by political office holders and those in positions of leadership.
And to prove his earlier assertion that 87 percent of road crashes in the country are caused by human factor, he showed an abridged version of the 2021-April 2022 monthly reports of road crashes across the country by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) saying the situation had been so since he had been Minister.
“What I have done is to separate those items which are human causative factors of road crashes and I have come up with 19 of such factors. I listed 13 of these factors which cause up to 87 percent of road crashes. And I say if these are eliminated, we would have eliminated by 87 percent the cause of road crashes,” he said.
Fashola, who cautioned against indiscriminate donation of motorcycles and tricycles to illiterate youths by politicians and elites in society in what they refer to as “Empowerment”, added, “We see a lot of motorcycles now inflicting pains on our lives. But who are the biggest donors of this Korope and Maruwa (Tricycles)? …Politicians, government officials and the elite; they call it empowerment...”
Saying all Nigerians have a role to play in bringing about law and order in the country, the Minister recalled an incident in Lagos, when he was State governor, when a citizen, Lanre Adio, insisted on his right of way to Lagos Mainland when a convoy of buses driving against traffic tried to force him out of the way, thereby causing a serious traffic jam on the Third Mainland Bridge.
“I had finished my work in Alausa one day and we were heading to the Island on Third Mainland Bridge. Normally at that time on a normal day, traffic would be light on the Island-bound traffic from Alausa. But this night the traffic was heavy. And as we inched towards it, I had to send some of our security details to go and see what was happening; and you can bet or imagine what happened,” the Minister narrated.
“Citizen Adio was driving with his daughter on the Mainland-bound side heading for the Oworonsoki end of the road. They were on their right side of the traffic and they were heading home when a long convoy of vehicles, including a public transporter who was driving against traffic was asking those who had the right of way to leave. Many left, but Citizen Adio was scandalised so he refused to leave.”
Fashola said in his presentation that despite invectives thrown at him by passengers in the offending bus, the man stood his ground till he arrived the scene and used his power of law enforcement “to force all the convoy back, made some arrests and then set Citizen Adio on his way.”
Posing the question, “Are we ready to act like Citizen Lanre Adio?” he asked his audience and proceeded to list more of the ways through which the high and the low contribute to dysfunctionality in society. “So, we must bring all of these to bear on ourselves. What will protect all of us when all is said and done is law and order, for the rich and the poor. We cannot trade on the streets, we cannot have big men driving unregistered vehicles or they cover their name plates and we cannot identify who did what with the vehicle. It makes crime detection very difficult. And at the end of the day it is just Law and Order.”
Rooted in the evergreen definition that “Law and Order exists for the purpose of establishing justice,” BRF has, in his now nearly two decades of public service, preached and led by example the essence of Law and Order as a foundation on which the sustainable development and progress of any nation could be laid.
He has continually built on this philosophy, perhaps with the consciousness, without doubt, that when Law and Order fail to establish justice “they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of progress”.
So, what has all this got to do with the coming General Elections, and what is the relation to the topic of the Sixth Gabfest. The truth of the matter is that this election will afford the people of Nigeria the opportunity to choose leaders that will maintain Law and Order and the Rule of Law.
With political parties waiting to begin official campaigns in earnest, BRF could only mean that any conversation involving compliance to Law and Order must involve everyone, including those aspiring to political leadership and those entrusted with the enforcement of Law and Order.
And if the topic, “Why am I Voting?” could also be expanded to read “Why am I voting for Candidate A or Candidate B,” then the question challenges all electorate to interrogate their true reason and motives for voting any aspirant to the position of leadership. Can such aspirants fulfill the yearning for security, peace, unity and good governance?
In that virtual presentation, BRF also spoke of the importance of continuity in governance especially good governance and knowledge and understanding of leadership. Citizens, he said, must not only appreciate good governance when they experience one but must also insist on it under any leader that emerges after the elections.
He elaborates on this by recalling the investments as Governor of Lagos State for two terms of eight years.
“When I look back to some of the investments that we made in Lagos and also across Nigeria; the Drivers’ Institute and training schools set up to train people to improve productivity, to set order and separate motorists from motorcyclists and all that, it is really a matter of regrets that we are still where we are. Many of the gains have been rolled back,” he said.
Stretched further, the topic, “Why am I Voting?”, could also mean that citizens must be ready to challenge their leaders when they are derailing from the path of good governance; when they deliberately tow the path of negligence in matters pertaining to the interest of the electorates and inclining to situations unacceptable to them.
Surely, as BRF turns 59 today, many Nigerians would wish him a happy birthday as a shining example of good leadership in whose steady hands the legacy projects of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in life-defining road transport infrastructure are making rapid progress towards the finish line. They are also looking up to him for dedicated service to the nation at whatever level he chooses to be going forward with or without a title.
Happy Birthday, BRF.
● Mr Hakeem Bello, FNGE, is Special Adviser, Communications
to the Hon. Minister
WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING, BASHIR NURA ALKALI, FCA, FCTI AT THE FORMAL HANDOVER OF KEYS TO BENEFICIARIES OF THE SALES OF NATIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMME HOUSES PHASE 1 IN OSUN STATE ON WEDNESDAY, 29TH JUNE, 2022.
PROTOCOLS
1. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this noteworthy event in the affairs of our National life. I particularly welcome the beneficiaries of the sales of the Houses built under the first phase of the National Housing Programme Initiative. On behalf of the Honourable Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, Directors and Heads of Units, Federal Ministry of Works & Housing, I welcome you all to this event.
2. As part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s developmental agenda of addressing Housing needs in Nigeria, the Federal Government inaugurated a pragmatic National Housing Programme (NHP) for the construction of acceptable and affordable houses nationwide. The Programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Works and Housing, under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. It is a Programme borne out of the present Government's desire to provide affordable housing for its citizenry.
3. The Ministry has successfully constructed housing schemes under this Programme in 35 States, except for Lagos State where land has not been donated by the state government for the programme. The housing types currently available for sale to all Nigerians through the Ministry web portal at https://nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng/ comprise of 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom and 3 Bedroom semi-detached bungalows and condominiums. The Philosophy behind the National Housing Programme is the provision of pilot scheme that is affordable, accessible and acceptable as contained in the National Housing Policy. The approach to the design and use of materials takes cognizance of the cultural and climatic peculiarities of the regions while responding also to the tenets of the Building Energy and Efficiency Code (BEEC) being championed by the Ministry.
4. The NHP initiative has engaged over 1,500 building contractors under phases I, II and III of the programme since the inception in 2016 and over 15,000 and 55,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created respectively. During this period, the Ministry is undertaking the construction of over 6,000 housing units in 45 sites, out of which 2,665 units have been completed in 35 States and FCT.
5. At this juncture, I welcome you all once again to the handing over of keys to Nigerians who have complied with the requirements of the sales and have fully paid for the houses in Osun State.
Thank you and God bless you.
OFFICAL COMMISSIONING AND HANDOVER OF LAFIA-OBI-AWE-TUNGA ROAD IN NASARAWA STATE TODAY 23RD JUNE, 2022
Offical Commissioning and Handover of Lafia-Obi-Awe-Tunga Road in Nasarawa State today 23rd June, 2022
OFFICIAL COMMISSIONING AND HANDOVER OF EFON ALAAYE - ERINMO - IWARAJA ROAD IN EKITI STATE TODAY 16TH OF JUNE 2022
L-R :Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, H.E.Otunba Adegboyega Bisi Egbeyemi, Rep. of Mr. President, H.E. Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo,Hon.Min.of Industry, Trade and Investment, HRM Obalufon Alayemore, Oba Dr. Emmanuel Adesanya Aladejare Agunsoye II and Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele during the Official Commissioning and Handing-Over of Efon- Alaaye-Erinmo -Iwaraja Road in Ekiti and Osun States on Thursday, June 16, 2022.