The Minister for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, has urged the consultants working on the construction work of the 250 housing units initiative of the North East Development Commission in Damaturu to ensure the speedy completion of the projects.
Maigari Ahmadu gave the directive during his ongoing two-day visit to Yobe State, during which period he visited the construction sites.
The minister who emphasised the need to assess the work for value and hand over the houses to Yobe State for the benefit of its residents, stressed, “We’re here to see the various levels and quality of the work. It is important that we assess the work for the commission to get value of its money.
“We urge you to ensure the speedy completion of the houses with a view of handing over to the rightful owners,” Maigari insisted.
The NEDC Managing Director, Mohammed Goni Alkali, in his remarks, disclosed that the commission was constructing 500 housing units for Yobe State, with 250 units in Damaturu and 50 units each in Potiskum, Geidam, and Nguru.
The project will include social amenities like schools, roads, electricity supply, and boreholes for water supply.
Alkali also noted that “The housing project consisted of schools, roads network, and boreholes.”
Meanwhile, the Consultant, Dr. Hassan Kankaka reported that 200 houses have been completed, while 300 are at various stages of completion.
“So far, 200 houses out of the total number were successfully completed, while three hundred are at various levels of completion,” Kankaka reported.
At Potiskum, the minister also inaugurated and handed over schools to the Yobe State Government, including those in Buni Gari, Gashu’a and Arikime Primary and Secondary Schools in Potiskum, which has a population of 20,200 pupils.
The Director of Finance and Administration of NEDC, Dr. Garba Iliya had earlier explained that the schools’ construction aims at decongesting the pupils’/ students’ ratio and also to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
The school features modern facilities that include: classrooms, toilets, administrative blocks, staff quarters, and a commercial centre.
