From Paul Orude Bauchi
Following the rebuilding of infrastructures destroyed by the devastation of Boko Haram Insurgency in the north east, a group, the North East Youths and Elders Peoples Forum, has commended the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) for construction of mass housing units in across the region.
Leader of the group Alhaji Salisu Magaji, gave the commendation in a press release, made available to journalists in Bauchi, even as the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of 500 mass housing units project in Bauchi State was flagged by Governor Bala Mohammed on Thursday.
This is in addition to the flagging off the distribution of food and non-food items in the state by the Commission.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEDC, Mohammed Goni Alkali, in company with Governor Mohammed, also visited two roads that defied previous administrations to be constructed by the Commission in the State.
The roads are Alkaleri – Futuk road I Alkaleri LGA and Alkaleri -Kirfi- to Gombe Abba road in Kirfi LGA.
Alkali with his team, while in Bauchi, is expected to inspect ongoing construction of the Soro cattle market in Ganjuwa LGA and Fistula Hospital in Ningi.
Speaking on the impact of NEDC in the region, Salisu stated that the people of the North East have confidence in the ability of the leadership of the Commission under the current board and management to remain focused and committed to ensuring the achievement of its mandate of rebuilding and developing the region.
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) was established to address developmental challenges in the northeast region and to restore means of livelihood of the people, following the effects of over 12 years-long insurgencies as a result of activities of Boko Haram in the region.
“Investigations by experts revealed that the stock of houses in the northeast states before the insurgency was about 4 million, out of which over 500,000 structures (houses and commercial premises) were destroyed or irreparably damaged, which Even before the insurgency, there was a Housing deficit in all the States of the Region. Therefore, the insurgency only further aggravated the situation. In all of this, Borno State being the epicentre of the crisis is worse affected with the largest number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs” Magaji stated.
“You would recalled that sometimes in 2019, because of the confidence he has on Dr Alkali, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a special Presidential intervention in Borno State (SPIB) in order to reduce the desperate situation that displaced communities in the state had found themselves through the construction of 10,000 houses and the establishment of Technical and Vocational Skills Acquisition Centres for the IDPs amongst others, execution of the SPIB, it was resolved that the NEDC undertakes the construction of the first 1,000 houses and fully funded the equipping of the Technical and Vocational/Skills Centres around the State.
“Dr Alkali constructed the first 1,000 Houses at Ngowom Village, Mafa Local Government of Borno State and handed over the Houses to the Governor of Borno State, Professor Baba Gana Umara Zullum.
“He delivered a town with all social amenities, these are all the efforts of the Commission to reflect on its mandate, and the decision to replicate same in the other five states of the region by the construction of 500 houses in each state.
“Alkali started the construction of 500 houses to other States in the North East when he strated with Yobe where he performewd the ground breking ceremony of building 250 houses; in Damaturu, in Buni Yadi, 50 houses; in Geidam, 50 houses; in Potiskum, 50 houses; in Gashua, 50 houses; in Nguru, 50 houses”,
“The types of Houses he is building are of the cluster block style which consists of blocks of four units of 2-bedroomed bungalows with veranda and courtyard, each block sits on four hundred square meters, with a fence separating each twin-facing houses, covered kitchens and toilets/bathrooms, and ample space for home living activities, adding that the facilities would also be provided with street lights, reticulated water supply system, commercial spaces among others”