Shelter is a basic need of human beings since the beginning of civilisation. From its inception, Abuja, the Nigerian capital was conceived as a centre of excellence to provide the best of modern infrastructure that would define the new Nigeria.
Development of the city started in the 1980s and culminated in the eventual relocation of the seat of power from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. Today, Abuja remains one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

With well planned layouts and wide roads which smoothly link different districts, Abuja is definitely the most beautiful and best planned city in Nigeria. However, beyond the glamour and the gilts which are associated with the city, Abuja also has one of the most serious housing problems in the country. Majority of the workers in Abuja cannot afford rent for a decent accommodation within the city and are forced to commute from places like Ado, Mararaba, Masaka, New Nyanya, and One-man Village in Nasarawa State; Suleja, Madalla, Sabo Wuse, in Niger State, and some communities along the Kaduna Expressway, due to easy access to cheap accommodation.

These communities harbour the largest population of those who claim to be living in Abuja. This also explains why the traffic gridlock along these axes will linger for a long time to come. While several workers commute these distance to work in the city centre, the major districts of Asokoro, Maitama, Katampe, Gwarimpa, Lifecamp amongst others are littered with unoccupied "ghost" houses, completed but left empty for years mainly because they are out of the reach of the average worker. For instance, a modest two bedroom apartment in the city goes for as much as N3million per annum while the same apartment in the satellite towns of Lugbe and Kubwa go for between N700,000 and N1.2 million.

The high cost of houses in Abuja is so high that most residents of the city will remain perpetual tenants. For example, an average three bedroom bungalow in Gwarimpa, Lifecamp or Lugbe sells for as high as N20 million, while 3-4 bedroom terrace apartment or duplex go for as high as N90 million depending on the location and finishing.

A recent report credited to Microsoft founder, Bill Gate, states that only about 2% of Nigerians earn above N100,000 in a month. With a near absence of an effective mortgage system, the implication is that very few Nigerians can afford to buy a house in the city from legitimate income. Many factors are responsible for the ugly situation.

First, some housing experts blame the situation on developers who focus on building luxury houses for the few elites rather than delivering mass housing which are in greater demand. This absurdity is represented by the fact that unaffordable luxury homes and apartments constitute over 85% of houses in the FCT.

Corruption is also another factor. Many see the property market as a safe haven for investing their ill-gotten wealth. They use their loot to build exotic houses and are not bothered whether these houses remain unoccupied. This is very obvious as nobody will spend his hard-earned income or bank facility to build a house and leave it unoccupied for years.

Over-concentration of development at the city centre is also another factor which must be looked into. A situation where development projects are concentrated at the centre while the satellite towns are abandoned must be corrected. The government may also consider moving some ministries and agencies outside the city to the satellite towns to encourage the development of those areas and reduce the pressure on the centre.

With an estimated 1.7 million housing deficit in the city, the government must change its tactics in tackling the problem. The Federal Capital Territory Authority, FCTA, must carry out an audit of unoccupied buildings and estates in the city. Such audit will help in identifying the original owners and the source of wealth for building them. Developers must also review their focus in line with the reality on ground. The era of free money in Abuja is over. They must, therefore, develop houses that can be purchased through legitimate means.

The government on its part should also take steps to encourage the mortgage system in the country. This will allow civil servants and other workers to acquire houses without having to accumulate the whole money in lump sum.

https://www.vigil360.com.ng/exclusive-report/658-the-ghost-houses-of-abuja.html

And so what? If he wants to turn to Mugabe, no my business. The thing i want to ask is, why is he quite now that APDA party has just surfaced.

kayez:
Indications have emerged that Governor Ayo Fayose is poised to elongate his tenure beyond the terminal date in 2018. The Governor who himself recently made this known publicly, has approved the disbursement of the sum 4 billion naira to secure the extension of his tenure and perpetuate himself in office.

The governor, who claimed his tenure was cut short by seven months with his impeachment in 2006, has publicly announced his determination to seek legal redress in court.

Vigil360 reliably gathered that the Governor is currently reaching out to influential citizens of the state in Ado-Ekiti, Abuja and Lagos, while equally targeting a section of the media to give him the necessary support.

Most of his targets including the media are being wooed with cash, as several top law chambers in Lagos, Abuja, and Akure are jostling to handle the case. Already, the Governor has enlisted 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) on his legal team, as huge chunk of the cash has been earmarked to lobby judges and other influence agents in the judiciary.

The Governor is equally reaching out to traditional rulers, key labour leaders, market women, transport unions, street urchins and less politically aware residents of the state, with the intention of using chaos, intimidation and outright blackmail to bamboozle his way and achieve his aim of staying in office beyond his terminal date in 2018.

It will be recalled that Governor Ayodele Fayose was impeached on 15th October, 2006 by 24 out of 26 lawmakers of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on corruption charges. He was accused and found guilty of embezzling state funds, particularly the Ekiti State Poultry Project fund, which he diverted and laundered through foreign accounts domiciled at Knightsbridge International Banking Center of Barclays Bank in London, and Citi Bank in the United States.

His alleged complicity in the murder of PDP Chieftain, Ayo Daramola, whom Fayose considered a major threat to his re-election back then, also contributed to his removal.

However, the recent launch of the Oshoko Mass Movement (OMM) in Ikere-Ekiti, a pro-Fayose political movement, is part of the grand strategy to solicit the support of gullible young men and women of the state to rally support for the governor’s tenure elongation bid.

However, insider sources at the Ekiti State Government House are concerned that Governor Fayose’s unquenchable taste for power may throw the entire state into a constitutional crisis, a situation which could lead to the declaration of another State of Emergency, the second in ten years.


https://vigil360.com.ng/politics/20-latest-news/531-fayose-earmarks-4-billion-naira-to-elongate-tenure.html

Notasyouthink:
That's very good!! If you are not for Bia4ra then, you are definitely for fulani herdsmen

Amazing read. This supposed Biafran issue needs to be shelved. Nigeria needs to develop itself, No one will. The quest for separation may be a repeat of tower of babel. Together, we can do it. Imagine if we are divided today, will it change the oppression or what? Think about it brother. Peace!