The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has disclosed its resolve to redouble President Muhammudu Buhari’s interventions in the housing sector by providing affordable shelter to Nigerians.
The acting managing director/chief executive of FHA, Barr Umar Gonto stated this yesterday at the ground breaking ceremony of FHA shopping mall in Gwarinpa, Abuja.
The shopping complex which was initially FHA’s office in Gwarinpa was designed for three floors and a pent house, even as it comprises of 6 number large spaces as open malls, 24 number of medium spaces as shops, 12 number of small spaces as shops, conveniences, elevators and staircases.
Also to be included in the mall are basement parking spaces, external parking spaces and adequate security features, even as the pent floor is expected to accommodate a restaurant and meeting spaces. The project would be executed by FHA in partnership with Horizon Construction Company limited who would undertake all the financial transactions. While eulogising PMB for appointing robust board of directors for the Authority, Gonto also appreciated the government for its funding intervention in FHA, even as he appealed for more funding to enable them spread their activities across the nation.
The MD informed that given the rate of commercial development along the 3rd Avenue where the mall is situated that the management decided to build the mall in order to address the demand of modern commercial spaces of the residents.
He stated that adequate measures were put in place while drafting the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) so as to ensure strict compliance to all standards in line with international best practices, especially on the quality of works and timeline for the project delivery. Gonto assured that the management is working out modalities to ensure that the outlets get to the interested members of the public at a very transparent manner.
He emphasised that FHA rediscovered itself during the tenure of this current board of directors, led by Senator Lawal Shuaibu, even as he lauded the numerous efforts of the board in drawing the attention of government to its challenges, which assisted the board members to record giant stride in the agency. The MD said, “From a near comatose state, the pragmatic approach and strategic policy drive initiatives of the board turned the Authority into a performing government agency within the shortest possible time”
Gonto revealed that FHA would soon commission its mass housing estate in Zuba, made up of 700 units of houses, saying that the Authority is currently pursuing the development of its estates at Ibadan and Katsina States under the FHA nationwide housing programme. He disclosed that works are in progress in Kwali while plans are underway to extend the project to Bwari as well as the Diaspora city project, to be situated at Kabusa, Abuja.
On his part, chairman, board of directors of FHA, Sen Lawal Shuaibu noted that the event formed part of the ways the board would provide services to Nigerians through the FHA, stressing that they are mandated to use every land-space the Authority acquired to provide such services to Nigerians.
He assured that various types of job would be created for our teeming jobless young Nigerians through the project. Shuaibu emphasised that PMB led administration does not tolerate waste and urged the management of both FHA and Horizon Construction Company to keep to the scheduled timelines of completion, as the days of uncompleted and abandoned projects are over in the country.
Source: leadership
