Gov David Umahi of Ebonyi on Monday, declared that his administration has scored lowly in the housing sector of the state.
Umahi made the declaration during the ground-breaking ceremony of the National Affordable Housing Delivery Programme for Nigerian workers at his home town Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.
The governor said that the low rating therefore made him see the affordable housing initiative as a miracle.
“I have never hidden the truth that we have not done well in terms of residential apartments though we have performed commendably in the commercial aspect.
“We had problems with the people handling such initiatives in the state but realised that we needed to be friends and not to quarrel.
“The people handling the housing project at Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu LGA of the state should know that project needs to be expanded,” he said.
He thanked the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) among others for showing deep understanding of the financial predicaments of the administration.
“You have understood that whatever we agreed to pay in terms of salaries is within our resources and that is why I get upset whenever any worker is not paid at the appropriate time,” he said.
Umahi said that he had made a request to President Muhammadu Buhari for the channelisation of the project from the industrial cluster through the college of medicine in the area and would submit it in Abuja.
Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bnak of Nigeria (FMBN) said that the bank was ‘at home’ in Ebonyi as it was a destination for the future.
Dangiwa, represented by Mr Melvin Eboh, Executive Director Finance and Corporate Services of FMBN, said that the state governor indicated interest in housing during the bank’s last official visit to the state.
“He showed strong commitment to develop Ebonyi in housing and collaborate with the Federal Government to bring the best to the state.
“Ebonyi indigenes working for federal, state and local governments have done their bits in making their 2.5 per cent contributions into the National Housing Fund.
“We, therefore, thought that in this contemporary collaboration with the NLC, to construct at least 200 houses in the state among other initiatives with available resources.
Eze Lazarus Umahi, the Chairman of Ohaozara Traditional Rulers Council, expressed delight over the siting of the project in the area and pledged the peoples’ support towards its success.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives of the NLC, TUC among other organisations, gave goodwill messages at the occasion. (NAN)