In the spirit of the figures that calibrated his re-election into office for the second term in 2019, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has disclosed that his administration would construct 342 housing units at the proposed New Sokoto city.
Governor Tambuwal had won the gubernatorial election in all but one local government area of the state with 3413 votes before the initial poll was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The voided votes tally on March 11, 2019, showed that Tambuwal was ahead of his arch-challenger. But, the Returning Officer, Prof. Fatima Mukhtar, called for a re-run “due to cancellation in 22 local government areas across 136 polling units with a total number of 75,403 cancelled votes.”
More than one year after, the governor who received a report from a committee for the delivery of affordable houses to people of the state on Tuesday, said the commemorative project to be named: ‘342 Housing Scheme’ is a special scheme for a broad spectrum of technocrats in the employ of the state.
These include but were not restricted to: civil servants, public servants, members of the state assembly, because they sold their own, members of the state executive council, permanent secretaries, Directors-General and Directors.
“We are planning a new Sokoto state housing scheme. In the next year’s budget we will come up with the new housing scheme to be entitled: ‘342 Housing Scheme.’
“We believe that in the next stage of development in Sokoto State, people will see (more) housing schemes coming up in the length and breadth of the state,” the governor emphasized.
Turning to the committee on affordable housing, which submitted its report, the governor said the state government has given options to interested applicants in terms of where to be build their houses for them. This, he explained, could be in the state capital or in their respective local government headquarters.
He said the scheme is intended to spread development across the state rather than concentrating only on the state capital.
The governor said preference will be given to those who have not benefited from similar schemes in the past, adding that the state government in collaboration with Family Homes and Federal Mortgage Bank, will come up with the number of houses available to would be beneficiaries.
He added that, at the inception of his administration it inherited 500 housing units at Kalambaina which has been completed and sold out to members of the public and civil servants.
The governor also said currently the government is undertaking the completion of another 500 housing units at Gidan Salanke, which was also inherited from the past administration.
More houses, he pointed out, have been sold to civil servants both from the state and federal service; including the families of those whose parents have disengaged from service but they still living in the state.
In his remarks, the chairman of the committee, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Sa’idu Umar, said about 6000 interested application were received from prospective applicants, comprising 5000 from the state civil servants and the remaining from the employees in the state Local Government Service Commission.
He also said the houses to be bulit include 4, 3 and 2 bedrooms flats.
