FCT news

FCTA Committed To Provision Of Affordable Housing-Minister

Published

6 years ago

October 12, 2019

Joel Ajayi

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has restated the commitment of the FCT Administration towards the provision OF affordable housing for workers in the Federal Capital Territory.

Malam Bello, who made this disclosure in Abuja on Friday during an inspection visit of the ongoing NLC/TUC Mass Housing Estate at the Apo District of the Federal Capital Territory, said the provision of affordable housing for workers was one of the cardinal objectives of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration.

The FCT Minister, who was accompanied on the inspection visit by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, specifically stated that President Buhari has mandated the FCTA to build at least 5,000 affordable housing units for workers and other Nigerians residing in the Federal Capital Territory.

He said the prime location of the 3,600 unit Civil Service Housing Estate, was carefully selected by the FCDA to ensure accessibility via a proposed 10 lane ultra-modern expressway that would pass near the estate, going all the way down to Gwagwalada.

The Minister assured that the key issues of infrastructure provision will also be addressed by the FCDA to ensure the speedy completion of the project.

According to the Minister, “I am speaking the mind of Mr. President that housing, especially for workers, is a very important cardinal objective of this administration and this kind of project will meet that objective.”

He continued: “President Muhammadu Buhari all his life has always been a man of the people and most of those that voted for him were the workers, the farmers and the petty traders. So, I came in here this morning with the President of the NLC to come and see the NLC/TUC Housing Estate under construction.

“Obviously you can see it’s in a very prime location. Substantial work has been done and I’m very confident that the challenges will be surmounted. Even my humble self as Minister, part of the mandate given to me is to ensure that we build 5,000 houses and we are working towards that. So, this is good and is commendable. There are challenges but by the grace of God, we will surmount the challenges,” Bello said.

The NLC President, in his response said Nigerian workers were very passionate about the provision of shelter, noting that the desire of every worker is to have a roof over his head before retirement from the service.

“So, this project is very dear to us and also all Nigerian workers. It’s a concept that was developed to make affordable housing possible to Nigerian workers. It’s not like any other project. It’s tagged affordable and that’s why the prices were actually set from the beginning. We are not leaving it to market forces.

“I am extremely happy that when we approached the Honourable Minister, he said that he wanted to personally visit and inspect the ongoing work and I think this is a demonstration of commitment”.

He continued, “I can say that Nigerian workers that subscribed to this project, if they see this today, they will be extremely happy because they want these houses to be completed and they want also to be part of this historic process of making sure that those houses are actually delivered,” he said.

The Minister went on the visit with the Permanent Secretary of FCDA, Sir, Chinyeaka Ohaa, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin and other senior members of staff.

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FCT news

FCT Cleaners Urge Minister Wike to Intervene Over Months of Unpaid Salaries

Published

3 weeks ago

May 13, 2025

The Gleamer

Over 4,500 cleaners working across Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including city cleaners, hospital sanitation workers, satellite town cleaners, and security personnel, have made a passionate appeal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the non-payment of their salaries for the past six to eight months.

The affected workers, who play a critical role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene across the FCT, including hospitals and public spaces, expressed their deep frustration and hardship due to the prolonged delay in their payments.

Despite working tirelessly under harsh weather conditions to ensure that Abuja and its environs remain clean and habitable, they say their efforts have gone unrewarded.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja, the cleaners voiced their disappointment, describing the situation as dire and unsustainable.

Many of them are reportedly struggling to meet basic needs, including food, medical expenses, school fees, and loan repayments.

“We are using this medium to appeal to our amiable FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently intervene and ensure our outstanding salaries are paid.

“We are going through untold hardship. We work day and night, even in dangerous and unhygienic conditions, yet we are not being paid.”

Another affected worker, who asked to remain anonymous, tearfully shared her experience: “We may be doing a ‘dirty job,’ but we do it with all our hearts. It is unfair that we are left unpaid. We are dying in silence—no food for our children, no money for healthcare. We beg the Honourable Minister to come to our aid.”

The cleaners, in their numbers, emphasized that their appeal was not just a demand but a desperate cry for help from workers who feel neglected despite their vital contributions to the FCT’s public health and cleanliness.

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