FCT Minister lays foundation for 404-unit staff housing estate

By Bisola Adeyemo

Minister of FCT Muhammad Bello has reiterated the commitment of the FCT Administration for staff cooperative housing schemes saying that one of the greatest desires of a family is to own their own home.
The minister said this when he performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the 404 unit staff housing estate of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council’s Cooperative Society at the Wasa District of the FCT last week.
In the words of the minister, “with the FCTA’s staff strength of over 27,000 you will agree with me that so many of our compatriots within the staff structure of the FCT would desire to have their homes.”
He commended the AMMC Staff Cooperative Society for embarking on the project and pledged the support of the FCTA to ensure its completion while calling on other cooperative societies to emulate the foresight of the AMMC Cooperative Society.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Cooperative, Engr Muhammad Hamisu disclosed that the plot measuring 4.2 hectares was allocated in 2015 and will contain 404 housing units made up of 224 flats in one-bedroom block of flats. 112 flats contained in two-bedroom block of flats and 68 flats contained in three-bedroom terraces.
He revealed that the cooperative society was collaborating with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and Mutual Alliance Mortgage Bank (MAMB) as the major financiers of the project while the Abuja Property Development Company (APDC) is the project developer.
The project which is expected to cost N1.5 billion is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
He expressed the appreciation of the cooperative to the FCT Minister for granting a waiver on the sum of N9.8 million being the cost of building plan approval fees.
He revealed that the sum of N4.5 million was expended as compensation to the indigenous people affected by the construction.
Present at the event were the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, Executive Secretary, FCDA Engr Umar Gambo Jibrin, Director of Engineering, FCDA, Acting Coordinator, AMMC, Mallam Muhammed Sulaiman, Acting Coordinator Satellite Town Development Department, (STDD) Engr Felix Nwankwo amongst other senior members of staff of the FCTA.