Fashola: Some states will get more houses than others

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, says some states would end up getting more housing than others under the ongoing federal housing scheme initiative.

Fashola disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during a briefing at the house of representatives.

Explaining how the ministry’s 2016 budget will be implemented, Fashola told the committee of works that migration of persons is responsible for the proposed uneven distribution of houses.

The lawmakers had agitated that the housing scheme be spread across the federation.

The demand came when the ministry suggested that the scheme be concentrated in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, among other notable cities in the country.

Speaking further, the minister said not all states were interested in the scheme, buttressing his point with the fact that some states have not submitted their housing scheme plan as requested by the federal government.

He explained that the budget set aside for housing for the year would not solve the challenge of accommodation that the country is facing.

Fashola said different housing pattern were still being proposed, adding that when the ministry finalised on the required pattern, the private public partnership would be allowed to participate.

Earlier, Mustapha Dawaki (APC-Kano), chairman of the committee, had questioned the delay in providing the housing pattern by the ministry even after the budget was passed six months ago.