FG Inaugurates 12-man Committee On 753 Houses Recovered From Emefiele

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Dangiwa, has inaugurated a 12-member ministerial committee on the 753-unit housing estate recovered from Godwin Emefiele, located at Lokogoma district, Abuja.

The estate was handed over to the ministry by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, last week, in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dangiwa told the inspection team, during the physical handover of the property, that he would establish a technical committee to carry out quality assessment tests on the structures within the estate, as well as complete and suggest how the Federal Government would dispose of the houses.

Committee members

The Ministerial committee has Dr. Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary, as Chairman.

Other members include Mr. Funsho Alabi, Director, Office of the Permanent Secretary – Alternate Chairman; QS Temitope Pemi, Director, Public Building and Housing Development – Secretary; ESV Collins Alabi, Director, Lands and Housing Development – Member; Engr. Hikmat Toyin Aderibigbe, Director, Engineering Services – Member; and Margaret Ojewemimo Adejobi, Director, Urban and Regional Planning – Member, among others.

The committee’s terms of reference include:

Conducting a thorough structural and integrity test of the buildings;

Ascertaining the number and status of the housing units;

Evaluating the value of existing work done through proper surveying and market valuation;

Assessing the cost of completing internal roads, power, water, security infrastructure, and public amenities;

Developing standardized architectural and finishing guides for consistency and quality assurance;

Proposing a clear, transparent, and inclusive strategy for the disposal and allocation of the housing units to Nigerians, based on affordability, equity, and public access through the Renewed Hope Housing Portal;

Designing a robust communication and public engagement plan that builds public confidence; and

Ensuring inter-agency coordination with stakeholders like EFCC, FCTA, and utility providers, while submitting a preliminary report within four weeks from today.

While inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Monday, Dangiwa charged members to consider their assignment as a national call to duty.

He noted that the Committee was constituted based on the vision of Mr. President and the housing reform drive of the Ministry, to ensure that the recovered property is quickly transformed into livable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians.

According to the minister, the high-level ministerial committee was carefully approved and constituted to comprise management staff and strategic officers drawn from key departments of the Ministry, to ensure bringing to bear the highest level of technical competence, integrity, and urgency.

Dangiwa said, “Your selection is a testament to the confidence the Ministry has in your capacity to drive this initiative with the seriousness and efficiency it demands.

“Nigerians are watching, and they want to see results. They want to see homes completed and allocated transparently. They want to see government working for them.

“Think outside the box. Be result-oriented.”

In his remarks, Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, pointed out the need for the Committee to have powers to co-opt some members to assist them, given the huge task ahead of them and the four-week timeline.

Speaking on behalf of other committee members, the Chairman, who is also the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, stated that the committee has been tasked with ensuring that the recovered estate undergoes a thorough technical assessment, is strategically completed, and is disposed of in a transparent and cost-effective manner, aligned with national housing delivery objectives.

He added that the successful execution of the assignment will serve as a model for converting recovered public assets into impactful infrastructure that directly benefits the people, while assuring Nigerians that the committee will carry out its duties diligently.