The National Assembly yesterday promised to ensure prompt budgetary approval for the rehabilitation of dilapidated Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Complex at Tafa Balewa Square (TBS) Lagos State.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Housing, Sen. Sam Egwu, who led lawmakers on oversight of projects in Lagos, made the pledge during a visit to the ministry’s complex.
Reports had that the lawmakers first visited the office of the Federal Controller of Housing at TBS where they expressed shock at the level of dilapidation.
Egwu lamented that the decay of the infrastructure was too massive and required prompt intervention.
“I have observed the terrible state of this building. The building is in terrible state of disrepair like a ghost house. In fact, I never believed people are still working here.
“From what we have seen here, we will be willing to approve any budget, any amount they give from the ministry,” he said.
He assured that renovation figures would be approved by the senate.
He added that an ongoing replacement of roofing sheets on the facility housing several other parastatals was just like “a drop in the ocean” considering the level of decay.
Speaking with journalists, Ewgu said it was appalling that a building that housed several ministries “will be looking like an abandoned property.”
He assured that the national assembly would do the needful when the budget estimates were presented before the senate.
He expressed satisfaction with ongoing housing projects but declined comment on the abandoned old Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, insisting the committee could not speak on facilities it had not inspected.
The Federal Controller of Housing in Lagos, Mrs Sarah Alawode, earlier enumerated challenges of dealing with land grabbers popularly called ‘Omoniles’ encroaching and selling Federal Government property.
Alawode also cited a judgment awarded the Lagos State government hindering the her staff from effectively monitoring town planning.
“The omoniles in Lagos are always encroaching on the Federal Government allocations,” she said.
She also gave details of efforts to replace some roofing sheets of the ministry’s complex which took place between December, 2020 and January 2021.
The lawmakers expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction of the housing estate in Sangotedo by Cocoon Atlantic Homes under the supervision of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).