http://www.independentngonline.com/news/ndig/article04
'How Ohakim Intends To Tackle Housing Needs In Imo'
By Uche Nwosu Reporter, Owerri
As Imo State citizens within and outside criticise Governor Ikedi Ohakim that he has not done enough to give the people shelter and accommodation except demolition of their houses and structures, a non-indigene of the state and surveyor by training, Chief Tito Asekhame, has said the Governor had done well so far, considering what his administration has been able to put on ground in the past two years.

The Edo State-born politician, who is also an attorney of law, is based in Owerri, Imo State capital. In fact, he is Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing and Urban Development, a portfolio he got after his experience in the housing sector was x-rayed and accepted by the administration. Though, Ohakim has been criticised by many for failing to build houses since assumption of office in May 2007, Asekhame believes the government would soon begin a housing project that would accommodate both public servants and counterparts in the private sector.

According to him, the Bureau of Housing and Urban Development on the express approval of the Governor made a call for expression of interest from reputable developers and consultants to come into public private partnership (PPP) with the state in the development of quality and affordable houses for citizens of Imo State.

The call, he said, was borne out of three prime factors. The first is, "The need to shelter the Imo populace." His words, "While everyone understands the fact that housing is the bane of any growing urban settlement, understanding the housing needs and the means of satisfying the people takes even a greater amount of money, and only very few organisations globally can achieve any meaningful result single-handedly. It has been estimated that about N200 billion would be required, at least, to meet the needs of the state in terms of affordability and spread, but may not even necessarily guarantee a total housing cover."

He and quickly added that the government had decided to pool resources of these companies and organisations that can source fund and bring them to Imo state to invest.

The second factor, he calls "stimulus for wealth creation". According to him, this is often underplayed in the analysis of PPP option in most Nigerian projects. If X amount of money is to be invested in the housing development by the various companies then, at least, 60 per cent of this amount would be spent in Imo. "The beauty of the whole system is that rather than the projected fund of say, N10 billion, required to build houses, wealth running into over N50 billion is created," he said. Analysis is that if N10 billion is spent within Imo State to actually put the buildings in place, ancillary business is created to carter for the houses that have to come in.

The third factor, he calls, "real estate market development". Giving reasons for this, Asekhame averred that considering the recent downward plunge in globally economy, the only market not hard-hit as of now is the real estate market. He argued that even if there had been or will be stagnation in sales, under normal circumstances, houses once put on the ground represent assets that have no downward slope in their curves. They appreciate by the second in value despite the height of financial austerity measures in the economy.

Defending the seemingly state government's inaction on housing and development of properties, the Governor's aide maintained that any government that offers this opportunity to its citizens is definitely on the right track. Thus, the creation of opportunity to invest fund, for instance, in the economy through real estate creates as much as five times that amount in the economy in mid term and perhaps more in the long run. No better way, he insisted, to put wealth in the hands of the citizens of any state than this.

"The legacy alone is something better imagined. The World Bank housing estate in new Owerri was allocated at N300 with present value of about N300,000 on the cost of acquiring a plot," he disclosed, adding that the government has a housing development programme that is five to 10,000 units of low, mid and high end houses, which, according to him, would be sold to individuals in the state, adding that the administration's successful drive in this area would lead the state to rejoin the National Housing Fund and create a veritable avenue for mortgage fund for low income earners.

On whether there is any estate being planned for the state, Asekhame disclosed that Ohakim's administration has launched a drive to create five mega estates, spanning all the senatorial zones of the state. He contended that it may seem like a tall dream, but the response "we've got so far has shown that there are many interests" around the corner. On the international scene, the attorney revealed that countries like the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Slovakia, Turkey and Iran have indicated interest to be part of the housing development programme in Imo.

He used the opportunity to announce the decision of the state government to salvage the Okporo Housing Estate, stating that though the government kept that project started by the previous administration in abeyance due to financial reasons, the Ohakim administration had decided that something must be done to salvage the estate. He said this would be done through sourcing of funds locally to free the estate from its uncompleted nature. Right now, the estate has been put up for public bidding.

the fed govt should make a law that any citizen of nigeria can run for public office ANYWHERE in nigeria like in the US.

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.xris ;d

where are all those edo indigenes that were about to kill themselves over an Igbo woman married to an edo man becoming VC at UNIBEN.
they've become deaf and dumb now(abi blind and crippled )