Cross River govt warms up for second phase of Social Housing Project for indigent, vulnerable people

One state governor in Nigeria whose recent ground-breaking feat in the area of mass social housing provision, has received both national and international commendation is Prof. Ben Ayade, the Executive Governor of Cross River state.

With his recent commissioning of an ultra-modern housing estate comprising 52 units to the displaced Bakassi indigenes including widows, Governor Ayade has distinguished himself as a governor with the interest of his people at heart and this has marked a milestone in the history of the state and indeed Nigeria and Africa at large.

Even as the jubilation and applause that followed the recent feat was yet to subside, the State’s Commissioner for Social Housing, Barr. Chris Njar has hinted at the possibility of the state embarking on the second phase of the project soon.

Barr. Njar made this known during a one-on-one Skype interview with Barr. Festus Adebayo, the Director of the Housing Development Advocacy Network, HDAN.

According to him, Gov. Ayade is concerned about the welfare of his people and remains resolute about housing the people of Cross river state.

“My governor is one man who is very passionate and he feels the problems of the people. He feels everybody should have a roof under his head. And so, he embarked on social housing programme.

“The governor has come to give them hope and they also have somebody who cares like the governor to give the people hope. That you’re a poor man does not mean you should be disserted and so the governor has done this to welcome the people and give them courage, give them hope, that there’s still life and hope. There are other expectations ahead” he said.

While commenting on the recently commission project, he stated that “This is just the first phase. Meanwhile, the first phase is fifty-two units. All the unit are en-suite with extra toilet. There are two bedroom flat. Very furnished. The sitting room has chairs. All the rooms have beds. Big beds enough for all the occupants. The entire estate is highly tarred, it is about 3.5 kilometers road of the estate with good erosion control measure, Good drainage system, with electricity complete. And even a standby generator to complement NEPA failure”.

“The houses are totally free. They’re meant for the poor, the less privileged, those who don’t have a roof above their head, they’re not meant for any payment, nothing like deposit, nothing like future payment. They’re free houses donated by the government and given to the people of Bakassi, the internally displaced Bakassi people. So, they are free of charge and it is not only limited to Bakassi, it is going to be spread all over the state” he said.

The Commissioner further stated that plans are underway to commence the second phase of the social housing project across the senatorial districts within the state.

In his words “We’re going to do it in other senatorial districts, we’re also going to go to the central senatorial district. As I speak to you right now, all the necessary things have been put together for us to commence building in the two other senatorial districts. Whereas the second phase is also going to commence very soon.

“The government is going to embark on the second phase. We are going to build in another senatorial district. We’re going to look for a location in the senatorial district and give it for the poor people, the less privilege and those people who have no hope to own a house.

Talking about the opportunities the project has created so far within the state, the commissioner stated that artisans in diverse vocations have been gainfully employed for different various aspects of the project.

“Let me make it clear that even before now, the beginning of the foundation of that estate, we have people who benefited from the buildings, we have plumbers, we have those who supply sand, tillers, those who supply wood and other artisa

*Cross River govt warms up for second phase of Social Housing Project for indigent, vulnerable people*

One state governor in Nigeria whose recent ground-breaking feat in the area of mass social housing provision, has received both national and international commendation is Prof. Ben Ayade, the Executive Governor of Cross River state.

With his recent commissioning of an ultra-modern housing estate comprising 52 units to the displaced Bakassi indigenes including widows, Governor Ayade has distinguished himself as a governor with the interest of his people at heart and this has marked a milestone in the history of the state and indeed Nigeria and Africa at large.

Even as the jubilation and applause that followed the recent feat was yet to subside, the State’s Commissioner for Social Housing, Barr. Chris Njar has hinted at the possibility of the state embarking on the second phase of the project soon.

Barr. Njar made this known during a one-on-one Skype interview with Barr. Festus Adebayo, the Director of the Housing Development Advocacy Network, HDAN.

According to him, Gov. Ayade is concerned about the welfare of his people and remains resolute about housing the people of Cross river state.

“My governor is one man who is very passionate and he feels the problems of the people. He feels everybody should have a roof under his head. And so, he embarked on social housing programme.

“The governor has come to give them hope and they also have somebody who cares like the governor to give the people hope. That you’re a poor man does not mean you should be disserted and so the governor has done this to welcome the people and give them courage, give them hope, that there’s still life and hope. There are other expectations ahead” he said.

While commenting on the recently commission project, he stated that “This is just the first phase. Meanwhile, the first phase is fifty-two units. All the unit are en-suite with extra toilet. There are two bedroom flat. Very furnished. The sitting room has chairs. All the rooms have beds. Big beds enough for all the occupants. The entire estate is highly tarred, it is about 3.5 kilometers road of the estate with good erosion control measure, Good drainage system, with electricity complete. And even a standby generator to complement NEPA failure”.

“The houses are totally free. They’re meant for the poor, the less privileged, those who don’t have a roof above their head, they’re not meant for any payment, nothing like deposit, nothing like future payment. They’re free houses donated by the government and given to the people of Bakassi, the internally displaced Bakassi people. So, they are free of charge and it is not only limited to Bakassi, it is going to be spread all over the state” he said.

The Commissioner further stated that plans are underway to commence the second phase of the social housing project across the senatorial districts within the state.

In his words “We’re going to do it in other senatorial districts, we’re also going to go to the central senatorial district. As I speak to you right now, all the necessary things have been put together for us to commence building in the two other senatorial districts. Whereas the second phase is also going to commence very soon.

“The government is going to embark on the second phase. We are going to build in another senatorial district. We’re going to look for a location in the senatorial district and give it for the poor people, the less privilege and those people who have no hope to own a house.

Talking about the opportunities the project has created so far within the state, the commissioner stated that artisans in diverse vocations have been gainfully employed for different various aspects of the project.

“Let me make it clear that even before now, the beginning of the foundation of that estate, we have people who benefited from the buildings, we have plumbers, we have those who supply sand, tillers, those who supply wood and other artisans. Even till today, people are still asking me to retain them, to maintain the estate.

“Even those who clean the estate, those who cut grass, it is a very big estate, in fact, to me, is the biggest and largest housing estate in the whole of West Africa that you can think of in social housing in Africa. So, the Establishment of that estate has multiplied the economy effect to that area and to Cross River State in general” he said.

HDAN Director Barr. Festus Adebayo, however commended the State government for the having the interest of the poor and vulnerable people of the Cross river state at heart, adding that the need for government at all levels to be involved in housing Nigerians is sacrosanct and other States Governor should take a cue from the laudable impact of the Gov. Ben Ayade in the area of housing.

It would be recalled that HDAN’s one-on-one Skype interview with the Cross river state Commissioner for Social Housing, comes as fulfilment to the promises made by the HDAN Director on need to have virtual interviews with the Housing Commissioners of each state as part of the group’s advocacy in the area of affordable housing and more interviews will follow in days to come.