News

We’re Working In Line With Tinubu’s Vision On Housing -Fubara

Published

1 year ago

April 15, 2024

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that the State Government would work harmoniously with the Federal Government to address the issue of housing deficit affecting low income earners in the State.
This synergy, he said, will reduce the pressure faced by citizens facing the challenge of housing, which is not only affecting low income but also medium income earners.
Fubara gave the assurance when he received the management team of the Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria (FHAN), led by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
The governor, who noted that the problem of housing has become a major issue confronting Nigerians, said the Rivers State Government recently flagged off a 20,000 housing units project to address the housing needs of low income earners in the State, which, he added, is also in line with Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Let me use this medium to say a big thank you to Mr President. We all know the basic needs of a family: food, clothing and shelter. And in our country today, because of the cost of living, housing has become an issue.
“It is no longer an issue of medium income earners, because medium income earners cannot even afford housing again. So, it is an issue that the government, both at federal and state levels must come together and work together to find a lasting solution. Maybe, we may not completely eradicate the problem, but we can reduce that pressure on the citizens,” he said.
He noted, “We are thinking in the same line with Mr President. In our dear State, some months back, we did flag off a 20,000 housing units project, specifically for low income earners. What is the purpose: how many persons can afford housing in the GRAs? Just a few of us. We need to make provision for our civil servants. We need to make provision for our traders and taxi drivers. We need to make provision for our teachers and other classes of workers. That is what gave birth to that programme. And I am happy to say it today, that the project is ongoing, and there is evidence of seriousness to that.”
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, expressed delight with the purpose of the visit, which he said, keys into the social housing policy of his administration.
He noted that FHA’s commitment to partner the State Government in providing housing would assist n mitigating the plight of the citizens.
He described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as people-oriented, given the seriousness the FHA attaches to ensuring the success of the project in collaboration with the State Government, and assured of his administration’s commitment to give the necessary support for the success of the project.
“I am really happy this evening to receive this delegation from the Federal Housing Authority, because even the houses we are providing still won’t solve the problem. So, adding this to what we are already doing, will also help in mitigating the challenges.
“Your demands are very simple. We have records available which show that lands given to some people have been undeveloped. That will not be the story anymore. We are dealing with a team that has come, made commitments, and already pledged their seriousness, telling us here that they are not interested in just the land, but want even the contractors, who must be indigenous people from Rivers State, to be part of the project. They didn’t even end there. They are also saying that this project, they want to do it in such a way that they want the state to support off-takers. What else does anybody need to show that this Federal Government is people-oriented,” he said.
He added, “I want to assure you that we will, as a Government, and as the head of the State Government, I will call the team that is concerned: the Permanent Secretary of Lands, and the Commissioner for Housing, they are going to meet with you, assess areas that are still undeveloped, and you make your choice and commence work.
“You said something very interesting. It’s not just building housing for the sake of building, but building in such a way that will consider the income of the would-be occupiers. It means, you have the people at heart.
“You are not just embarking on the project as white elephant project, you are not just embarking on the project because you want to come and flag off the project or commission it, you are interested in the end product. It shows seriousness, and that is our motto. As a Government, the few things that we are doing, we are interested in ending them well, and people seeing the purpose and the usefulness of our projects.
“So, I want to assure you, we will give you all the necessary support. Our message to Mr President is that: we are going to own the project, we will see that it succeeds so that it will also be a legacy for him in our dear State.”
Earlier, the Managing Director/CEO, Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, had said they were at the Government House to pay a courtesy visit on the governor as well as intimate him on Mr President’s mandate to the authority to provide affordable housing to Nigerians as encapsulated in the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Hon. Ojo, who noted the strategic position of Rivers State in the country, solicited the governor’s partnership in making available land to enable the authority fulfil its mandate of providing affordable housing to the people.
“We are here for two reasons: to pay a courtesy visit, and to intimate you on the mandate of Mr President given to the Federal Housing Authority of Nigeria to provide affordable housing to Nigerians. In the Renewed Hope Agenda, we all know that housing is a specified area in which Mr President really talked on.
“Right now in Nigeria, we are lacking shelter seriously. And I say, it’s not only lacking shelter, it’s about being affordable. And what is affordable? It is what the low income earners can really purchase and afford.
“Your Excellency, you all know the position of Rivers State in this country. After Abuja being the capital city, Lagos and Rivers are two major economic hubs of Nigeria which nobody can down-play in this country.
“And by so doing, we in Federal Housing Authority have decided to take a position, and what is our position of coming here today. The land is vested in your authority as the owners of the land in the State. It’s one thing that you give us the land and we go to Abuja and do a design.
“In our own tenure, we want a scenario where we have a partnership, not just collecting land, but also sitting down with your team in designing what you think is suitable with your own people. The houses will be designed and tailored towards the needs of the residents and people of Rivers State,” he said.
Ojo said that the collaboration between the Authority and the State Government was necessary to secure the buy-in of the off-takers so that they can own the houses for their sustainability.

News

Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”

During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.

The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.

In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.

News

RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.

This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.

The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.

Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.

The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.

He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.

According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.

At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.

He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.

Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.

According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.

At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.

He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.

Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.

He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.

However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.

At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.

He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.

Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.

Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.

In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.

At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.

Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.

Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.

John Bibor

News

Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.

The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.

“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.

Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.

He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.

“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.

President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.

He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.

“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.

“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.

Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.

Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.

She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.

Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.