Nigeria’s House of Representatives members expressed their support for the proposed investigation into the activities of fraudulent estate developers who dupe unsuspecting Nigerians including civil servants also called for decisive action in tackling the growing menace. The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate fraudulent activities in the housing sector sponsored by Joseph Edoinwele representing PDP-Edo.
Edoinwele argued that shelter is unarguably one of the most basic necessities of man, as it top priority item in the hierarchy of man’s needs and this primacy is reaffirmed by section 16(2d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which mandates the state to provide suitable and adequate shelter for all citizens. In a bid to actualize the above injunction, the Federal Government set up a Public Private Partnership arrangement which entails the government providing land for estate developers who are willing to use their resources to develop real estate for sales for members of the public at affordable rates.
However Mr Edoinwele noted that despite the incentives by successive governments, there is still a huge housing deficit for a low and even medium income earner who desire to own their houses, hence, the Public Private Partnership arrangement has become a tool in the hands of the people who masquerade as estate developers to dupe unsuspecting Nigerians who are seeking affordable Houses. He also said that the fraudulent activities going on in the housing sector has resulted in the loss of money by innocent Nigerians and also hampered the housing development policy of the Federal Government.
In his remarks, Sergius Ogun representing PDP-Edo said that the main cause of corruption is because most Nigerians are not getting the most basic of all human necessities. He stated that if a man has these basic needs, then corruption would reduce drastically in Nigeria. On this premise, he called on Federal Ministry of Power, Works, Housing to put in place appropriate mechanism to ensure the registration of all estate developers in the housing sector and ensure strict regulation of their activities.
While ruling on the motion, Speaker Yakubu Dogara mandated the committee on housing to conduct an investigative hearing into allegations of fraudulent activities in the housing sector in Nigeria.
Source: Business day
