Change in FCT mass house policy underway

This committee is mandated to review the recommendations contained in the report of the ministerial committee set up by the FCT Minister Bala Mohammed in October 2011.
The FCT mass housing scheme has suffered several challenges and has failed to tackle accommodation trouble of residents as envisaged.
Abuja mass housing scheme started in 2000 to facilitate the provision of affordable houses to meet the increasing demand for shelter by the ever-rising number of residents.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr John Chukwu, inaugurated the committee saying the whitepaper will give the FCT mass housing scheme the character and direction it deserves in conformity to the Abuja masterplan.
 He expressed worry that the lofty objectives behind the initiative have not been fully realized within the expected time frame because the scheme has been beset by a myriad of gaps and deficient structures.
Chukwu said the scheme could not be properly implemented as a result, illegal and unplanned settlements masquerading “as mass housing estates” emerged across the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
He reiterated that with the whitepaper, there will be drastic but positive change to improve in the service delivery in that sub-sector.
The committee is to critically examine the conclusions and recommendations of the ministerial committee regarding Mass Housing Development Guidelines for FCT; Guidelines for final Engineering Design of Infrastructure for the Federal Capital City and Satellite Towns; FCT Development Control Manual as well as generate conclusions that will represent the position of the FCTA on that matter.
It has three weeks to turn in the whitepaper.
Responding, the chairman of the committee who is also the Director of the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) Engineering Services Department, Engr. Adamu Alfa Abu pledged to live up the expectations.
Members of the committee are the FCT Solicitor-General; MD Abuja Property Development Company; Directors of Urban & Regional Planning; Land Administration; Mass Housing; Public Building; Satellite Towns Development Agency; Resettlement and Compensation; Development Control as well as SSA (Technical) HMS office; SA (Project) HM Office and SA (Lands) PS Office.