Writing By Ismai’l Adamu; Editing By Godwin Duru
Following speculations on the social media that the Katsina State government plans to spend N155 billion on a housing project, part of which will be constructed in the governor’s country home, Radda, the state government has come forward to deny the rumours.
Addressing newsmen in Katsina, the state Head of Service, Falalu Bawale, said the project which was part of the Renewed Hope Housing Project was conceived through a Public-Private Partnership by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and a US-based real estate firm.
He pointed out that the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by the two parties “clearly state that the private firm will provide all the funds and logistics required for the project while the respective state governments will provide the land on which the projects will be sited”.
Bawale who chairs the project implementation committee in the state, said the project will be executed on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis in six states, one in each geo-political zone, as Katsina State was selected for the Northwest.
In his remarks, the representative of the real estate firm, Murtala Ibrahim, said under the project, 2,500 agro-housing units will be constructed in Kankia at a cost of N155 billion and 1,250 units in Radda to the tune of N86 billion, bringing the total to N241 billion.
He noted that the 3,750 housing units which will be constructed in less than two years, will each have a fish pond and a vegetable farm which will provide both residence and employment for the 5,000 beneficiaries across the two local government areas.
He said the project will also provide indirect jobs to thousands of other beneficiaries that will participate in the fish and vegetable production, packaging and exports value chain.
Cov/Isma’il Adamu
