Renewed Hope Housing Project: Minister Directs Katsina Federal Housing Controller To Submit Comprehensive Report Before Wednesday

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The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has expressed dissatisfaction over the ongoing 250 renewed hope housing project in Katsina, directing the Federal Controller of Housing to submit a comprehensive report before Wednesday to his office.

Darma, who handed down this directive shortly after inspecting the ongoing Renewed Hope Housing project in his home state, Katsina, on Sunday, said the local contractors handling the projects have violated their contractual agreement.

“It is not good for someone who has signed a contract agreement to complete a certain project within a stipulated period and now delays the work for whatever reason without extending that duration for over three times the contractual agreement signed that the project would be completed”, he said.

“To me, I believe that our local contractors should be much more responsible than just abandoning the contracts without reviewing the signed contract agreement, as they are very important. If you violate such agreements, you will be penalised through the payment of certain responsibilities or a fine. This is contract management which is being done anywhere in the World”, the Minister added.

He said actions would be taken, however this actions will follow as soon as his office is fed with the comprehensive report, as earlier directed, which includes details of all contracts, when it was awarded, duration, and their present status. Then that will give us the basis to deal with the individual contractors, as I will not take a uniform action.

“Even if a contractor is complaining about funds, either he has not been given any money or received any, it is the responsibility of the contractor to go back and revisit the contract agreement signed which is an obligation by law, if for example there are difficulties, write the ministry forwarding whatever complaints either for the extension or finances, non of them did that and therefore they have all violated the law of contractual agreement, as far as the federal government is concerned it has no moral obligation towards any of the contractors, however if they are incapacitated of funds they should do the needful by simply writing the ministry for the extension or whatever giving reasons for consideration”.

Said he to the state Federal Controller, ” So what I want you to do is call them (all the contractors), sit with them and relay our message to them.

On the quality and capacity of the houses, the Minister stated that, the houses are of three-four types, one, two and three bedroom bungalows, as well as four bedroom flats for senior officials, from what I have seen, I have looked for cracks, I can’t find one however if what I have seen is an indicator of what obtained across others then they are good. However, an assessment team will be visiting to assess the viability of the houses before the next necessary step is taken.

On his assessment of the Renewed Hope Housing project being implemented by the Federal government in states across the country, Darma said since assuming office about a month ago, he had studied the projects, including the one being funded by the ministry, partners through PPP and other agencies such as the Federal Mortgage Bank and Federal Housing Authority.

According to him, over 150,000 housing units are ongoing across the country. From the report I received from Katsina, 250 units are completed, but I was amazed that it was only 130 housing units that are actually completed, with 120 yet to be completed.

“I will visit other states to verify houses that are completed, and until then I will not be categorical on the actual number that are completed before the off-takers can access them”.

The Minister assured that he will give his utmost time, efforts and intellect to ensure that 80-90 per cent of the houses are completed before the end of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first term tenure, and not only completed but that people are occupying them.