THE leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and its local partner Kriston Lally Ngeria EPC, recently visited Athens, Greece to meet with their foreign partners, Kriston-Lally Enterprises and Attikat on the NLC/Kriston-Lally N960 billion Workers Housing Scheme in Nigeria. The NLC was led by its President, Mr. Umar Abdulwaheed.

Managing Director/Chief Executive of Kriston Lally Ngeria  Alhaji Mustapha Umar Madawaki spoke to Vanguard Homes & Property on the outcome of the visit and other related issues. Excerpts:

WE understand that you are having a partnership with a foreign company and the Nigeria Labour Congress   (NLC). What is the partnership about?

The relationship is with a Greek consortium Kriston Enterprises and Attikat. We have been partners for about 15 years and they own 40 per cent of our company. We have been doing very well in construction management and we believe the relationship facilitated the contract to be signed with the Nigeria Labour Congress which is all about affordable housing for the Nigerian workers.

What was the purpose of your recent trip to Greece?

We signed the contract for the housing scheme in April 2013. Ever since, the technical partners and ourselves have visited the NLC severally but at individual and committee levels. We are now at the close of starting the construction works in various sites, especially in Abuja. So, the leadership of NLC felt that it was proper for them to also come to Greece, and to see the people they are dealing with and to look at what they have done in the past.

Although, this should have happened earlier but thanks to information technology, they have been able to do a lot to communications back and forth via the internet. But also, the physical presence of NLC officials here to look at them, to meet with them physically is very also important.

What is the level of Nigerian workers’ interest in this project?

When we started we thought it was something that will grow gradually over a period of time but because we did our home work very well, the level of acceptance is extremely high. In fact, right now we have closed our doors to workers because we don’t have land which could occupy more houses but we hope to resume phase two by the middle of next year.

Is the first phase only in Abuja ?

It is not supposed to be in Abuja alone, it is supposed to be nationwide but right now the only land available is in Abuja, so we are to start in Abuja. Meanwhile in other states, the governors have co-operated; a lot of them have approved the land allocated to us through the NLC. Naturally, there are procedures and these procedures are so bureaucratic. However we believe that in a couple of weeks , some of the certificates for these lands will come up. We will move to these areas and if you want to subscribe even for phase one, it will be available.

Approximately, how many people have subscribed for the scheme?

Roughly 5,000 people for phase one, most of which is in Abuja alone. But by the time you put together Port-Harcourt, Lagos we should be looking at 100, 000 houses.

I mean specifically for now. How many people have subscribed?

As I said, 5,000, mostly  in Abuja because we don’t have land yet in other states. Although they have been approved we don’t have the certificate yet. The moment we receive the certificate we will mobilise to the site, and begin work immediately.

Will there be  a second phase in Abuja?

Absolutely. There will be Phase II, III, IV, and V not only in Abuja but nationwide for as long as there are subscribers. You can’t compare the rush in Abuja, Lagos and Port-Harcourt to other states. May be in some states, when we do only phases I and II but I’m absolutely sure that in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja, we will do phase I, II, III, IV, and V.

When do you think the second phase can come up in Abuja and when will you deliver the keys to the subscribers?

Like I said we are looking at the first and second quarter of next year.

We have said it before, we have advertised, it is there in our fliers, on our website, it is December, 2014 and by the grace of God we will deliver it by December, 2014.

Are you assuring the subscribers?

Yes! Unless something beyond our control happens and right now we do not envisage any problem. Delivering 5,000 houses in 12 months, to us is not really a problem. It’s something we believe we can achieve.

Like I said we are expecting the initial funding to flow by second week of December and if that happens, we are expecting also that the president will launch the program in January.

And before he launches it, we would have been on site, we must have cleared and activities must have started. We are not expecting the President to come and clear bush or launch bushes. What we want is for the President to come and see that the work is in progress and give his blessing.

How will you ensure that there is no default by subscribers when the programme eventually takes off?

It is a difficult question and the best we can do is to put measures in place to ensure that every subscriber pays but we have also put in checks and balances if there is a default. Note that we will not give the house papers to subscribers until the full payment is completed and if a subscriber defaults for three months, then his agreement with us would be null and void.

Whatever you must have contributed will be paid back to you less administrative charges and another person will take over that house. The beautiful part of it is the house is ours, you cannot take the house from your bank and run away, once you default we will have legal right to eject you because we will only issue you a final certificate of ownership only when you have completed the payment.