Kogi Tackles Housing Shortage Through Owner-Occupier Scheme

Shortage of affordable accommodation has become a perennial problem in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State since inception. WALE IBRAHIM, outlines some of the initiatives of Governor Idris Wada to tackle the problem head-on through owner-occupier scheme

As part of infrastructural development and determination to continue to tackle accommodation problem especially in the state capital in the last two years, the Kogi State Government has vowed to continue with its owner- occupier housing scheme.

This is to ameliorate the suffering of residents as result of influx of people to the state from other parts of the country. It would be recalled that since the inception of the state in 1991, accommodation has been one of the major problems facing the residents despite the efforts of the successive administrations both military and civilian to tackle the perennial problem.

Some of the housing units constructed by the previous administrations are Adankolo Housing Estate, Phase 1 Housing Estate, Phase 11 Housing Estate, Aniebo Housing Estate, 200 Housing Units, 500 Housing Workers Village, Otokiti Housing Units, House of Assembly Quarters and more.

Prior to this time, civil servants in the early stage of the state were sleeping at every available open space such as the Lokoja Township Stadium and other unsuitable locations during the formative years of the state.

Investigation, however, revealed that since 1991 when the state was created by the then Military President, Badamosi Babangida, the number of houses available in Lokoja, the state capital were not enough to accommodate the civil servants from old Benue and Kwara States.

Apparently not satisfied with this trend, the successive administrations in the state introduced owner-occupier scheme to solve the problem among the state workers.

The scheme was done in such a way that after the allocation of apartment, the beneficiaries would pay little amount back to the state government through monthly deductions from their salary for a period of time for them to become proud house owners.

In spite of large number of estates, accommodation has been a recurring decimal in the state because of its fasting growing status.

However, the present administration under the leadership of Captain Idris Wada is determined to tackle this perennial housing problem in the state. It could be recalled that shortly after the 2012 flood disaster that ravaged the nine local government areas in the state, the government has constructed 272 units of Post Flood Housing Estate for 272 families adversely affected by flood with a pledge that the Post Housing Estate be replicated in the other 8 affected local government areas of the state.

Also in line with determination to tackle this problem, the Kogi State Property Development Corporation is not left out in building houses for the workers. The corporation has completed over 200 housing units at Crusher- Felele, an outskirt of Lokoja along Okene –Lokoja –Abuja Expressway.

The Managing Director of the Kogi State Property Development Corporation, Chief Moses Okino, stated the housing units were affordable for all and it was in line with the state government determination to find lasting solution to housing problem in the state capital.

Governor Idris Wada, stated during the presentation of 2014 Appropriation Bill that the state government is determined to continue with its owner –occupier housing scheme in the state. He stated that, in line with the determination, the sum of N3,400,000,000 has been earmarked for the housing sub sector.