Contractors under pressure to complete mass housing projects as minister gives ultimatum

Minister of lands, housing and urban development, Akon Eyakenyi, has given contractors building some of the mass houses in Kuje area of the Federal Capital City (FCT), Abuja, three months to complete them.

The minister, who gave the directive during an inspection visit to the projects sites in the city, assured that issues responsible for the delay in the quick execution of those projects on the part of government would be addressed.

She announced that the training institute which contract for building was awarded seven years ago would commence operation in the next three months with the available structures, promising that all records and other necessary issues hindering the progress of work would be addressed soon.

The projects inspected include the Draughtman Training Institute, an 80-unit housing estate co-financed by the American Exim Bank and built by the American Building System (ABS),  and another 200 two-bedroom housing units under construction by Sterling Plaswall Development through a private public partnership.

According to the minister, government could not allow critical projects like the training institute for builders, the first of its kind conceived by the ministry, to be abandoned while Nigerian builders engage craftsmen from neighbouring countries.

“We give all the contractors on these projects maximum of three months to complete them; I am aware there were issues on the part of the ministry that caused delays in the initial take-off of the projects, like failure of the ministry to properly survey the land before allocation for projects,” she stated.

She said that the whole area would be redesigned because of encroachment by illegal developers, adding that the first allocation earlier made would be cancelled. She disclosed that the new allocation would be done with preference to those who earlier paid for their allocation.

Chuka Uroko