Emefiele's 753 Abuja houses not for sale yet, FG warns
From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Badamasi Haiba, in a statement yesterday, said that the clarification was necessary to prevent unsuspecting Nigerians from scammers.
“This clarification became necessary as reports reaching the ministry indicated that scammers were already on the move to defraud Nigerians, claiming they have slots from the housing ministry to sell the houses, asking for N500,000 for purchase of non-existent expression of interest form.
“For avoidance of doubt, the ministry has just taken over the estate from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). As directed by Mr. President, the houses will be completed by the ministry and all the necessary infrastructure will be provided before offering them to the public for sale and for special needs of the government,” he said.
The statement noted that the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, had in that regard announced that the ministry would set up a technical committee to carry out physical assessment of the facility, conduct integrity test of the buildings and ascertain the infrastructure needs that will make the estate habitable and finally come up with the disposal strategy.
“The public is hereby informed that the ministry will give a clear and adequate announcement, as well as strategy outlined for the sales of the houses, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Accordingly, the general public is, therefore, warned not to fall victim to fraudsters, and are advised to directly contact the ministry’s officials through the departments of Public Building and Housing Development, and the Press and Public Relations for clarification before they commit any resource as regards the purchase of the houses.
“The ministry remains committed to ensuring that the process is guided by transparency, public accountability, and inclusivity, while delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda in the housing sector.
“We urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely only on official communications from the ministry,” Haiba explained.
