By Ndahi Marama
MAIDUGURI — THE Borno State Commissioner of Housing and Rural Electrification, Alhaji Umar Abatcha, has promised the people of the state that Governor Modu Sheriff’s administration is poised to provide better accommodation for civil servants at a subsidized rate after the completion of the on-going multi-billion naira 1000 housing units along Maiduguri-Damaturu road.

Gov. Sheriff, the commissioner noted, is very worried over the increasing population and the high rent of residential houses in the state, a situation which has left many people, especially civil servants to be exploited by landlords in the state, hence the move by the state government to address the ugly trend by injecting billions of naira into the project.

Abatcha, who spoke to Vanguard in an interview said apart from the construction of the Mailamri 777 Housing Estate along Maiduguri-Damaturu road and the 500 Abba Gana Terab Housing units, as well as the 20 housing estates in all the 27 council areas of the state which was earlier given to beneficiaries during the first tenure of this administration, the state government had last year embarked on the construction of additional 1000 Housing units which has reached 70 per cent completion, as well as another 1000 proposed housing units which is contained in this year’s state budget.

The ministry, Abatcha said, is also constructing an office complex at the R.E.B premises which has 22 offices, conference room and toilet facilities at the cost of N34 million. The project has reached over 80 per cent completion.

The commissioner also noted that, considering the need for facilities that would uplift the socio-economic well-being of the people of the state, the state government had approved the construction of modern shopping complexes at some strategic locations within the state capital. In this regard, Abatcha said, the ministry had awarded contracts for the construction of two shopping complexes at Lamisula Ward and Old G.R.A Along Gombole Road.

He added that the choice for siting of the Lamisula shopping complex was informed by the need to sanitize the area which hitherto was a refuse dump that posed a lot of health hazards to the people living around the location.

As regards energy which is also the responsibility of the ministry, the state government has procured solar streetlight components worth over N500 million for the installation of 500 security light poles across the 27 council areas; for example, Damboa, Kwaya_ Kusar Bayo, Shani, Askira_ Uba and Chibok local Government areas among others have adequately benefitted from the good gesture.

The commissioner however noted that since the creation of the ministry from the then Ministry of works and Housing in August 2007, the challenges are enormous, as according to him, assets sharing have not been affected. Therefore, some of the functions of the ministry are still being handled by Ministry of works and Transport.