THE House of Representatives has criticised the Federal Government’s plan to build 40 houses for top officials of the Presidency at a cost of N3 billion.
It queried the government’s monetisation policy, saying the programme may have been jettisoned without due process.
The policy, introduced during former President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration, monitised housing and car incentives to civil servants.
The Herman Hembe-led Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was, however, shocked when it was told the Presidency was planning to build 40 houses for its top officials at a cost of N3 billion this year.
The committee, during the 2016/2017 budget session with the Ministry of FCT, queried the change of policy.
The lawmakers asked for the identities of the beneficiaries, wondering whether they were lower government functionaries that deserved to be living in rented houses.
Hembe said: “When government comes up with a policy, it should follow it up. When you begin to build houses for ministers, permanent secretaries and directors, are they above the members of the National Assembly?
“If you want to move for monetisation, it should be complete. I think it was wrong to sell the houses in the first place.
“This kind of thing may be very difficult to pass on the floor of the House. You can’t push for building houses for them. I remember at some point, they even wanted to sell the Vice President’s house”.
FCT Permanent Secretary Babatope Ajakaiye, who stood in for the minister, Mohammed Bello, said government felt the monetisatuon policy was due for review.
Saying the governments around the world cannot do away with accommodation of its own, some of which were designated as safe houses, Ajakaiye said the government felt the monetisation policy might not have served its purpose.
“We have not started it; it is a new project. I still want to plead for understanding on this issue. The issue has been discussed last year and we’re still talking about it. The policy was introduced by government, but after sometime, there was this feeling that it should be reviewed.
“When government says top functionaries, it is not defining. In countries around the world, they build safe houses, and it’s not meant for any particular person.
“Can we really say we want to give houses to about 500 legislators in one or two years? Top government functionary could be anybody. There’s always a start,” he said.
The committee, however, demanded for the details of the 40 unit houses, their specifications and supposed beneficiaries.
It expressed disappointment with the handling of the Abuja light rail project that ought to have been completed last year, but deferred to the first quarter of 2018.
The committee said with the paltry allocation of N3 billion proposed for the project, its completion is not likely to see the light of the day in the life of this administration.
