Wike decries high cost of housing in Abuja, says FCTA to build 10,000 houses for masses
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has criticized the high cost of accommodation in the territory.
He lamented that some businessmen, who were previously granted free acres of land to develop mass housing projects, instead partitioned and sold the plots to Nigerians at exorbitant prices.
In response, Wike announced that the FCT Administration would begin the process of constructing 10,000 houses for the masses in its next budget.
The minister disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the ongoing Ministerial Sectoral Update to mark the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“In our next budget, we want to build a Renewed Hope City. This is for affordable houses, not for the big men. We are going to provide infrastructure, build and allocate the houses to the poor. We have in our mind to build 10,000 houses for the poor,” he stated.
Wike also urged the National Assembly to review the law against vandalism in the FCT, highlighting that the meager fines in existing laws are insufficient to deter criminals.
“Take for example, the issue of streetlights on Abuja streets. Today you put streetlights, tomorrow night, they are no longer there. What happened? They have vandalized them. They cut off the cables. You arrest them for prosecution, and what does the law say on conviction? N10,000. So, they continue with the act. We have told the National Assembly that they must come to our aid by amending and reviewing the law to make it very tough so as to discourage vandals from vandalizing our infrastructures,” he stated.
Regarding the issue of multiple taxation in the territory, the minister advised the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to allow the FCT Administration to collect revenue in the city. This measure aims to avoid double taxation and harassment by touts.
