FHA tasks developer on speedy completion of housing unit

WORRIED by the delay in delivering its scheme, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has urged the developer handling the Federal Housing Lugbe Extension to increase the pace work on the project and ensure that the project is completed by December, 2011.The housing project was awarded to Messrs Zinc Pace Nigeria Limited in 2005, under the Public Private Partnership Housing Project and comprises 53 units of three bedroom bungalows.Speaking during an inspection tour of the project, FHA Managing Director, Mr. Terver Gemade, who expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done, said he was not impressed with the pace of work at the project site.He said, 'we are in a hurry and for that reason we might say that we are not totally satisfied with the pace of work but we are impressed with the quality of job. However, he had had his challenges.'Gemade, an architect, who was represented by the Executive Director, Project, Enato Ossain recalled that the Authority had recently commissioned 240 housing units in Lugbe adding that the involvement of the private was a way of boosting housing delivery in a sustainable manner.However, the representative of the developer, Dr. Olufemi Oyinsan said that the major challenge the project had encountered was the bureaucratic way government officials work.He said, 'as the PPP matures, the PPP office would begin to understand the dynamics and begin to respond promptly bearing in mind that time is very crucial, cost and quality is of essence. You have gone round, we don't have problem with quality and cost, the only problem was time and this was due to the system of management that government use.'On whether the project would be completed by December dealing, Ossain said, 'there are monies meant for the project, which we cannot access except FHA endorses because in partnership, whatever money that comes becomes the money for the two of us, to be able to draw on that money as at when due, I require the concurrence of FHA, it moves from table to table, recommendations upon recommendation and approvals upon approval. We may complete the job before December 2011.
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