By Ladi Patrick-Okwoli
Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), has disclosed plans to build 10,000 ‘affordable’ housing units for the poor and the vulnerable in the nation’s capital tagged the ‘Renewed Hope City’ by 2025.
The minister stated this while featuring at the ongoing ministerial sectoral update organised to mark the first anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration on Thursday in Abuja.
Read also: Tinubu to commission FCT projects on 27 May Wike
According to him, “In our next budget, we want to build a ‘Renewed Hope City’. This is for affordable houses, not for the big men. We are going to provide infrastructure, build and allocate houses to the poor. We have in our mind to build 10,000 houses for the poor,” he added.
Speaking on revenue generation, the minister advised the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to allow the FCT administration to collect revenue in the city to avoid double taxation and harassment by touts.
“On harassment by touts because of revenue collection and others, we have sat down with the Abuja Municipal Area Council and told them that the only way to allow decency in the collection of revenue is to form a committee and have an account where the revenue comes to the FCTA, and they collect their share. By doing so, you will reduce touting, harassment and double taxation. And they have agreed. After all, the law allows them to take 10 percent of our IGR,” the minister said.
He also appealed to the National Assembly to review the law against vandalism in the FCT to ensure that culprits face severe consequences for their crimes.
The minister noted that the current law against vandalism in the FCT, which prescribes N10, 000 fine on conviction was not punitive enough to deter vandals from the act.
Read also: Abuja Light Rail rehabilitation project gulps N10bn — Wike
“Take, for example, the issue of streetlights on Abuja streets. Today you put streetlights, tomorrow night, it is no longer there. What happened? They have vandalised them. They cut off the cables. You arrest them for prosecution, and what does the law say on conviction, N10,000. So, they continue with the act.”
“We have told the National Assembly that they must come to our aide by amending and reviewing the law to make it very tough as to discourage vandals from vandalising our infrastructures,” he said.
