By Thompson Yamput
Civil Rights Activists on Wednesday scored the Kogi Government so low on the provision of housing units for the teeming residents of the state.
The rights activists, Messers Idris Miliki and Aliyu Hamza, Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) and Chairperson, Kogi Accountability Platform (KAP), respectively made the allegation while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja.
The activists berated Gov. Ododo’s administration for not erecting even a small room and parlour to improve the welfare of workers despite the creation of ministry of housing in the state a year ago.
Miliki said: “My worry is that the administration of Gov. Ododo has not being sensitive to the welfare of workers of the state.
“It beats my imaginationthat that Kogi, which hosted two giant cement companies regrettably has refused to take the advantage of their presence and opportunity to build houses for its citizens.
“Kogi government has not build nor commission a room and parlour despite the presence of Dangote cement and Mangal cement firms both located in Kogi west.
“Only them can tell what makes it difficult for the government to go into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the cement companies to build infrastructure that will improve the welfare of workers and other citizens in the state, ” he said.
According to him, when Gov.Ododo created the ministry of housing, people were happy thinking that more estate houses will be built for workers but to no avail.
Miliki said that previous administrations “built the government house they are occupying, built Otokiti housing estate, built 200 and 500 housing units, built Aniebo quarters, built legislative quarters, built workers village among others.”
“Therefore, I see no reason why the present administration is foot dragging to do the same in the interest of the citizen, ” the activist queried
Aliyu argued that government refusal to build houses for workers has eroded its effort in paying salary regularly, since much of the salary would be used to pay high rents in Lokoja the state capital.
He called on Gov. Ododo to be proactive in attending to workers’ welfare that includes transportation, food, water, healthcare and housing.
Responding, the state commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Taiye Abanika, debunked the activists’ claims.
The commissioner said that Gov. Ahmed Ododo’s administration has been doing a lot in the Housing sector aimed at giving shelter to the teeming populace in the state.
“I won’t be specific for now but the social media have been awashed with what ate doing in the housing sector in Kogi, ” he ststated.
