Politics
NASS Plans 6,000 Housing Units For Staff
Executive Director, Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), National Assembly Chapter, Dr Beni Goka, says the association is embarking on construction of 6,000 housing unit with local materials for staff in Abuja.
He made this known in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja.
Goka stressed the need for the government and staff associations to ensure the welfare of citizens were guaranteed through affordable housing schemes.
As part of its effort at providing affordable houses for its members, Goka said that the association was embarking on a project of 6000 units of houses spread across the six area councils of the FCT.
“The staff union of the National Assembly decided in its goodness that the staff members need to be accommodated,” he said.
Goka noted that the association had identified over the years that finance and land acquisition were reasons why their members were not accommodated under the National Assembly Housing Scheme.
According to him, the contract for the building will be awarded to developers, who are proficient, who have the know-how, who are financially viable and who have lands.
“We had 70 developers, who applied for these positions but we are settling for 10. We will ensure that this project does not fail.
“We are also sourcing for alternative funding because we are aware that the Federal Mortgage Bank will be able to build up to a certain stage before they get their money back,” he said.
The executive director, Construction Finance, NASS, said the project was meant for permanent staff and legislative aides.
“These legislative aides are not members of PASAN. We are trying to include them in the project. Nigerians in general will also benefit from the project,” he said.
Goka, who said that there was daily increase in the cost of building materials, noted that the association had approximate value of monetary figure that would be placed on the houses.
According to him, for instance two-bedroom will costs between N9 million to N10 million, while the developer designs with our specification.
“Quantity Surveyor will verify what they bring in based on today’s market, then we will come up with an acceptable price for the project which will be based on differences in location.
“For the payment schedule, there will be monthly deduction that goes to PASAN fund as contribution to the housing.
“What we are trying to do is to make sure that our staff fall into the Federal Mortgage Bank long term mortgage scheme.
“We are working out the modalities of payment based on the year of service and year remaining in service versus the down payment,” Goka said
The director told newsmen that the association would make use of local materials for the construction of the over 6000 units of houses for staff of the National Assembly.
According to Goka, this was in a bid to promote the use of indigenous products.
“We are hoping to use more of local content in our construction, particularly in the building materials.
“The local tiles are cheaper than the ones we import from China, with the economic recession, from January till date, local tiles have added about N250. If we are to import, it will be about N2, 300 we are having our local tiles at about N1, 350 on bulk purchase,” he said.
He further said that the use of local content does not involve only the building materials but also the technical expertise.
According to him, the association will be using simple finishing to make the houses more cheaper and affordable.
“By simple finishing we mean the basic finishing”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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