…You’ re a round peg in a round hole – Wamakko
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has promised the Real Estate Developer’s Association of Nigeria (REDAN) to lead a crusade in ensuring that the body got the necessary support from shelter Afrique.
Arc. Dangiwa who said it was gratifying to hear that REDAN have engaged shelter Afrique, pointed out that it is one of the finance institutions that Nigerians contributes so much but have gotten very little.
The minister made the promise when he received the Executives of REDAN led by the President/CEO Alhaji Aliyu Oroji Wamakko in his office on Thursday in Abuja.
He said, ” we are the second largest investors of shelter Afrique but despite all that , Nigerians have not benefited much from them, I think their engagement with REDAN has opened an avenue for us to benefit from them and as a minister, I will lead that crusade to ensure that you get the necessary support from shelter Afrique.
Responding to some other issues raised by the REDAN President, the minister said, “The issue of your flagship project the rural -Urban Housing iniative (RUHI-774) which you have been advocating since I was in FMBN which is highly conceived as a project that you want to develop at least 109 Housing units in each of the 774 local government , it is also a welcome development, I assure you that as long as you can build, you can leverage on FMBN which is an arm that provides affordable housing for Nigerians, I assure you that when you are launching this , I will be at the forefront.
“I have to commend REDAN for their wonderful performance in this crusade for housing deficit in the country, and also increasing the stock of houses within the country, I assure you that the ministry of housing and urban development will collaborate highly with you in other to serve Nigeria.
“I feel highly honoured to receive you this afternoon on this congratulatory visit to my office as the minister of housing and urban development.
“REDAN I can say is a child of federal mortgage bank of Nigeria , it was born an conceived as FMBN and I was one of the managers then, later when i became the MD, we engaged them very well in the delivery of houses in Nigeria, they became second to MBA because mortgage bank association of Nigeria are the ones to get the mortgage loans and then forward them to us, but as production of houses is important for the mortgage to be conceived REDAN became handy for us.
” I know I have collaborated with Many developers here in the provision of housing and I find it very gratifying that I was appointed minister and I was given minister for housing urban development, I will make sure I add volume to this position.
“I should be the one to tell the importance of REDAN, It is an association that regulate the works of development within the Country, and also ease Work for any government Institution, I learnt that REDAN also train developers for the knowledge that my likely come so I must commend you for that.
“Today I’m hearing about the Recon bill for the first time and it is a very good development , I assure you that I will go through the bill and use whatever I can to make sure the bill gets to Mr President.”
Earlier, the president/CEO of REDAN, Alhaji Aliyu Oroji Wamakko congratulated the minister on his well-deserved appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said REDAN are particularly grateful to Allah that the President and Commander –In- Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, knowing his pedigree, experience and performance as the Immediate Past Managing Director of the foremost Apex Mortgage Bank, which is the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), rightly assigned him the well-deserved responsibility of re-creating and energizing the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.
Wamakko who said the body is fully aware that the minister are conversant with the mandate of REDAN, and their Members being the Investors on the supply side of housing development, it will be apt to inform him of some strides that the 6th REDAN Executive which was inaugurated in February 2020 has made.
NwokeAgulu
