For over three years that Buhari-led government inaugurated its Federal Mass Housing scheme for all the states in the federation, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is yet to provide land for the minister of Power, Works And Housing, Babatunde Fashola to build low cost housing for Lagosians, COMPLETE NEWS has authoritatively gathered.
Lagos , the most populous state in the country with population estimated at 24m people is facing chronic housing deficit as urban poor are crowded out of shelter due to rising cost while many put up in houses that could pass for shanties.
Credible sources told COMPLETE NEWS that 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have provided land for the scheme remaining Rivers and Lagos. Fashola is the immediate past governor of Lagos raising concerns among observers on why the state of the minister would lose out in such a national scheme.
It was further gathered that efforts had been made by the minister and other influential personalities in the last years to prevail on the governor Ambode to set aside the rift between him and his predecessor in the interest of the state but governor Ambode reportedly sticks to his gun.
COMPLETE NEWS observes that most of the ongoing projects when Fashola left office were either abandoned or remodeled. Iluburin Hosuing Estate scheme had been in comatose immediately the former governor left office.
In the same vein, most of the initiatives and programmes of the former administration were reversed. Private Sector Participants in waste management sector were sacked for Visionscape, an acclaimed foreign waste management firm. The PSPs were later recalled when Visionscape became overwhelmed.
The Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor, Habib Haruna who was reached to state the reason why his principal has refused to provide land for the Minister of Power, Works and Housing declined comments asking our reporter to meet the relevant ministry.
“ Am i the Housing Commissioner? Please call the relevant agencies and ministry, Haruna said in a terse SMS sent to COMPLETE NEWS. Several calls made to Commissioner for Housing, Mr Gbolahan Lawal were not answered.
