AMID shortage of residential accommodation in Umuahia, Abia State capital, the authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aso Investment and Development Company (AIDC) as part of the moves to attract private investors into the housing sector.Under the proposed public private partnership driven programme of the Abia State Government, AIDC build 400 units of two and three bedroom detached bungalows in the proposed Ochendo Liberation Housing Scheme, in a 50 hectares of land situated at Amauba Community, few minutes drives away from the capital city, Umuahia.The project has been divided into seven phases. The first phase, which was kicked-off recently with 50 housing units, comprising 22 two Bedroom and 28 three BedroomDetached Bungalows that will be completed in twelve months time. Prospective buyers will enjoy mortgages secured from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) at six percent interest rate for those that have been contributing to the National Housing Fund and the Cooperative Housing Scheme of the FMBN.At the groundbreaking ceremony performed by the state governor, Theodore Orji, the government assured the company of its support, collaboration and commitment towards realizing the project.He said that due to some experiences of un-actualized partnerships, the government was becoming very careful and cautious in entering into public-private project partnerships but expressed optimism that the Aso Groupwould actualise its project.His words: 'We are happy to do business with you, we are fulfilling our side of thecollaboration and desirous to see the house begin to 'germinate'. This Abia State Civil/Public Servants Housing Scheme in Ochendo Liberation HousingEstate in Avodim Ubakala is undertaken as part of the fulfillment of my electoral pledges/promises to build and provide affordable houses for Civil/public servants and others in need ofthem.' We are going into this scheme under public private arrangement with the Aso group who is to finance and build 400 houses comprising three and two bedrooms bungalows. Being aware that workers would be involved, an arrangement was made for them to subscribe tothe national housing fund to be able to get the collaterals that would qualify them to purchase the houses at moderate prices they will be sold to them under mortgage arrangement involving installmental payments'.He beckoned on communities in the state to provide lands that would enable government effect development and specially thanked the Avodim community for so providing land for the scheme that will have shopping center, recreational facilities, schools, clinic, security/Police post, Fire service and of course water electricity.Chairman of Aso Investment & Development Company Ltd [AIDC] Mr. Collins Chikeluba said that all the buildings will be of exquisite urban architecture and particularly designed with privacy and exclusivity and targeted at the civil servants and medium income earners of the state.Chikeluba who doubles as Vice Chairman of ASO Savings Plc, stated that his organisations is doing a lot in providing affordable housing schemes and viable mortgage options for the Nigerian populace.'We are partnering with the federal and various state governments across the country through the public private partnership scheme to key into the vision of the present leadership in Nigeria to provide housing for all Nigerians by the year 2020. It is for this reason that our organisations are collaborating with the Abia state government to launch the state housing scheme.At the MOU signing ceremony in the Executive Chambers of the State House, Umuahia, the Executive Governor of the state, Chief Theodore Orji welcomed the management team of AIDC led by Mr. Collins Chikeluba, Chairman of AIDC and Vice Chairman of ASO Savings & Loans Plc, Isoken Omo, Managing Director AIDC, Kojo Sagoe and Rachel Dwyer both of the Public Sector Unit, ASO Savings & Loans Plc, Fatima Muhammed, Legal Officer, AIDC and Jane Odonwodo of the Corporate Communications department at ASO Savings & Loans Plc.
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