News Investigators/ The Gombe government has completed the construction of 550 housing units to provide affordable houses and tackle housing deficit in the state.
Usman Kallamu, Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportation, said this while presenting the scorecard of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya’s administration in the last one year.
He said the Yahaya-led administration had invested a lot to consolidate efforts toward enhancing access to decent accommodation to the people of the state.
According to Mr Kallamu, the state government is constructing housing units to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the housing sector.
“The governor has committed a lot to develop the housing sector. There are gaps but we are working to bridge the housing gaps.
“Today, the 550 housing units have been completed with the right modern infrastructure that will make residents to live in a decent setting.
“We were able to finish the 550 housing units; it’s been completed, and it’s only the road network, once it’s done, we will allocate them to individuals, who are able to meet the criteria.
“We are committed to sustaining the construction of more houses, the state government is already working to begin another set of housing units,” he said.
Mr Kallamu said the administration also renovated emirs and district heads’ palaces in the state.
“The state government recognises the role of traditional institutions in peace building, hence providing them with decent accommodation to be able to contribute to the governance at the grassroots,” he said.
The commissioner said the Gov. Yahaya administration also embarked on the three-arm zone project, designed for the new State House of Assembly, judiciary and the state secretariat complexes.
He said that construction work on the judiciary and assembly complexes were ongoing, while the state secretariat project would soon commenced.
“Under the three-arm zone project, over 2,000 youths have been directly engaged, earning money to fend for their families,” he said.
Mr Kallamu said the governor was passionate about addressing the infrastructure deficit in housing, roads, and other critical sectors.
In the area of road infrastructure, Mr Kallamu said that 87 per cent of the roads under the Network 11-100 project had been completed in the last one year.
The Network 11-100 project aims to construct at least 100 kilometres of road in each of the 11 local government areas of the state.
In Bauchi State, Hamisu Ahmed, an official of the Ministry of Works and Housing, said the Bala Mohammed’s administration had constructed over 780 kilometers of roads, to open up farming communities to markets as well as improved economic and social services.
He said that 10 new bridges had been built in flood prone areas, including the Gadau Bridge, designed to restore connectivity and boost local trade.
Mr Ahmed said the state government also embarked on two flyover projects, in addition to the construction and upgrade of roads in Bauchi metropolis.
“Urban renewal projects have also been undertaken, including the remodeling of major roundabouts, street lighting systems, and the Bauchi Township Drainage Master Plan, reducing perennial flooding in urban centers,” he said.
However, Fatima Danladi, a social activist, argued that dividends of democracy were not being evenly distributed in Bauchi State.
According to Mrs Danladi, many rural dwellers lack access to the government’s interventions, as the system is weighed down by bureaucracy and personal interest.
Also, Ibrahim Musa, a civil engineer, described the infrastructural development as a “critical step in modernising the state economy.
“The volume of construction activity is unprecedented in the recent history of Bauchi State.
“Yet, while the roads are welcome, we must ask if due process was followed in the award of the contracts. We need accountability to ensure a long-term value,” he said.
NAN
