By Yinka Kolawole
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, Chinese Global Group Corporation (CGGC), to deliver mass housing, boost development of infrastructure and power generation in the in the territory.
Managing Director, Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), Dr. Abdul Muktar, disclosed at the signing ceremony that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the mass housing guideline submitted by the FCT Minister thus paving the way for immediate take off of the mass housing project.
He regretted that previous attempts by the FCT administration to go into mass housing met various obstacles, which prompted the decision by the minister to present the guideline to FEC with a view to injecting sanity into the system and ensuring quality control of mass housing in the territory.
“According to the recently approved mass housing guidelines only reputable developers would be engaged while FCT administration is committed to providing infrastructure. Some of the excuses that the developers have been putting for low quality of housing have to do with where they have to provide infrastructure themselves but the FCT Minister has made it clear that infrastructure would be provided for them,” he said.
Muktar revealed that the AICL has secured an approval in principle from the FCT minister for its application for land for the project, assuring the Chinese firm of the readiness and cooperation of AICL to ensure that the MoU becomes a reality.
Head, Government Relations of CGGC, Mohammed Mustapha, explained that the company was invited to Nigeria in 2005 by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo after seeing the world hydro power project the company executed in China. He added that the company has a lot of experience in city planning, real estate and infrastructure development and that it is currently executing Libya’s largest housing project of 10,000 housing units worth $1 billion.
Managing Director of CGGC, Feng Jun, said the company was interested in bringing its vast experience in city planning, real estate development and hydro power system as well as its financial strength to Abuja in partnership with AICL.
I could not believe my eyes when I read that FCT has sealed a
pact for housing project with a Chinese firm. How stupid could
the Administration of Yar’Adua be to reward the Chinese with a
housing project at the same week the Chinese government is
requesting the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant them
permission to cremate 30 Nigerians allegedly died in Chinese
prisons while awaiting trials for various offences ?
It is questionable how these 30 Nigerians died in Chinese prisons
despite reports that Nigerians were being indictiminately harrassed,
tortured and hauled into Chinese prisons for minor offences as expired
visa or overstaying in China pass a day of their visiting visa? Instead of
making sure that Nigerians leave China, they are hauled into prison with
out legal representations and that these Nigerians were petty traders.
I deplore President Yar’Adua for not listening to these complaints of
acute brutalities against Nigerians in China , Lybia and other countries.
It is more annoying where the same Yar’Adua who preaches “due legal
process and transparency”, is simultaneously doing nothing to enhance
these problems facing Nigerians forced out of the country by his administration and at the same time rewarding the Chinese for brutally
torturing and killing his country men even there is no official declaration
of war between Nigeria and Chinese. Shame to Yar’Adua and shame to
his Chinese counterparts.
Then, what is going to happen to the 30dead Nigerians in China, would
the same Yar’Adua decline to bring their dead bodies home for their next
of kin to see and give their respective family members decent burial or
will Yar’Adua going to authorize the Chinese to “babque” these Nigerians
as suggested and perhaps, feed their remains to Chinese dogs ?
Certain things that happen within governments that sometimes, one is
left to wonder whose interests they serve ? I am gravely disappointed
that the President Yar”Adua of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would on
the eve of Chinese request to cremate his country men and women killed
in Chinese prison, would think and approve such a project. Are we really
safe in the hands of our leaders under the circumstance especially when
they don’t loot, they encourge other nations to kill us ? I am mad as hell
that the President Yar’Adua has become so insentive to human plights.
Why are the Chinese in a hurry to cremate the 30 dead Nigerians if faul
play is not suspected ? It is not customary for Chinese to cremate bodies
and Nigeria has not ingulged yet in cremation of dead bodies like India.
Was there any autopsy on these Nigerians and could 30 of them just died,
is the statistical number not enough to question how ? Once again, who are these dead Nigerians since they had Nigerian Passorts, why can’t
the Nigerian Government trace their next of kins ? Would Yar’Adua like any
of his family member to be treated that way assuming we abid by his kind
of transparent treatment ? Shame to Nigeria and shame to the Chinese !
SHAME; SHAME; SHAME; and multiples of shame on Nigeria for signing MoUs with China to start building “MASS HOUSING” project in Abuja. Are we seriously brain dead; Almost 50 years after independence, this country is begging China to enlighten her on how to “THINK”. We have universities that produce engineers and architects yearly; still we can not make good use of these graduates. I have said it repeatedly, that, for Nigeria to assume first world status by asking China, Britain, India, Japan and others to help her attain that goal is absolute LUNACY. These leaders should have their brains examined. Please God help us; This country already tailed spin to “EVERLASTING REDUNDANCY” . No wonder why Wiston Churchill (former British PM) refer to Africans as brainless BABOONS.