By Abiola PETERS
All is set for the groundbreaking of the Two thousand Renewed Hope City in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos by President Bola Tinubu, to cover the Southwest region of the country.
Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Danginwa, who stated this during an inspection of federal government buildings in Lagos, said that the President would later be in Kano to do the groundbreaking that will cater for the North Central region.
Architect Danginwa said he had earlier met with Governor Babajide Sanwoolu and they both agreed to a Tripartite Committee that will resolve all issues bothering on housing and lands between the federal and state governments.
According to the Minister, one of such issues is the integrity and security concerns of unrehabilitated federal government buildings, stating that some will be taken care of with budgetary expenses, while the Private sector will be engaged for others for the purpose of rent and eventual revenue for the federal government.
Architect Danginwa who had earlier visited the Fields Headquarters Office, housing over forty federal government offices at Tafawa Balewa Square, acknowledged the deplorable state of the facility, with a promise to ensure the upgrade and improve the work conditions of the staff.
Earlier, the Controller of Housing, Lagos, Town Planner Funmilayo Olayiwola, had listed lack of power supply, water, dilapidated structures and obsolete operational vehicles as part of the challenges in the Headquarters and some other offices, thereby limiting productivity of staff.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development also visited the old Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi, Federal Land Registry Ribadu, Ikoyi, Craft Training Schools in Ikoyi and Harvey Road, Yaba, 60 beds hostel facilities at Onikan, National Population Commission Land at Surulere and Eric More Housing and Treatment Plant Project at Surulere.
Architect Danginwa was accompanied by the Minister of State, Mr Yusuf Abdullahi Ata and Permanent Secretary, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi.pp
The Minister will continue his working visit to lagos tomorrow with inspection of some on-going Federal Government Housing Estates and Projects and also engage stakeholders on Land Administration.
Most of the buildings served as offices of the Federal Government became vacant or unused due to the relocation of the Federal Capital Territory from Lagos to Abuja on December 12, 1991.