Yobe builds 300 new houses, renovates Assembly complex

TOWARDS meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN-MDGs) on housing for all by year 2015, Yobe State Executive Council has approved the release of N1.6 billion for construction of 300 additional housing units under the state government's Owner-Occupier Housing Programme (OOHP).The Commissioner for Information, Goni Fika, disclosed that the additional 300 housing units are to complement the completed 1,000 houses built by the government in its effort at addressing housing problem.He said when the houses are completed, civil servants and other residents of the state would occupy and own the houses at 65 per cent subsidy. According to Fika, if a three-bedroom apartment costs the state government N5 million, the worker is to pay only N1.75 million or 65 per cent discount on each of the houses sold. Other categories of people to benefit from government's housing and other infrastructural facilities' projects, according to the commissioner, are students and teachers in the state-owned university on Gujba road.Fika said Governor Ibrahim Geidam at the council meeting held at the Government House, Damaturu, also approved the release of N353 million to the Bukar Abba Ibrahim University (BAIU) to build houses for the workers, as well as lecture theatres, while N180 million has been earmarked for the House of Assembly to renovate its complex, including the chambers and legislators' offices, which were said not to have been renovated since 1999.On the National Food Security Programme, the commissioner said: 'Council has approved the release of N77.2 million for massive purchase of 575 metric tons or 11,500 bags of millet and sorghum from farmers'.The procurement of grains, he explained, is to offer reasonable market prices to farmers and ensure success of the National Food Security programme in the state.
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