Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) for their commitment to championing the Renewed Hope Housing initiative.
Governor Otti made this known while performing the groundbreaking of the 1,200 Housing units of the FHA Renewed Hope Housing project in Umuahia, the State Capital.
“I want to underscore the point that while we are working on our own to provide affordable housing for our people, Honourable Ojo reached out to me and said, I want to come to your State. ‘ That was two years ago, 2024. And I said, please come,” he said.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Federal Government, through the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), and the Abia State Government, aimed at expanding access to affordable housing for residents of the State.
“The ground-breaking makes Abia the first State in the South East and the first five States in the country to partner with the President Tinubu-led Federal Government on affordable housing.
The Governor reiterated his administration’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government and relevant agencies to continue to deliver people-oriented projects that will enhance the welfare and living standards of Abians, stressing that such priorities are far more important to him than the distractions of politics, ethnicity, and religion.
Otti clarified the payment of compensation to landowners saying that before authorising the ground-breaking ceremony, all verified landowners among the host communities that donated about 100 hectares of land for the housing project had been duly compensated and advised those yet to receive payment due to bank-related issues or disputes over rightful ownership, to resolve such challenges promptly in order to access their funds, which are already lodged in the bank.
In his address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Housing Authority, Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, said that the event was a way of cementing the commitment of realising the construction of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing programme in all the States of Nigeria.
He cited the warm reception the governor accorded the management team during its 2024 visit to solicit for land and support as among the reasons the State was chosen and lauded the leadership style of Dr. Otti, with tangible results across various sectors of the economy.
According to Ojo, “Mr. President’s charge that the programme should be apolitical, irrespective of political affiliation was very clear and unambiguous.
“Your Excellency, we are not only developing an estate in Umuahia, we are going to create an environment that is the trade mark and signature Federal Housing Authority is noted for, which would be the pride of Abians,” Hon. Ojo stated.
Also speaking, the State Commissioners for Housing, Architect Chiemela Uzoije and Lands, Mr Chaka Chukwumerije, while noting that the project was initiated 18 years ago, thanked President Tinubu and Governor Otti for their commitment towards its actualisation for the benefit of the people.
They expressed hope that the initiative would address the shortfalls to the housing and bring the much needed development along the corridor.
Speaking on behalf of the host and donor communities, the representative of the Presidents-General of the communities, Hon. Ugochukwu Ibe, expressed gratitude to Mr. President and Governor Otti and prayed that the project would be actualised in record time.
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