In keeping with its primary responsibility of making available affordable houses in the country, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in partnership with both the ADKAN and CITEC construction companies has fully developed and delivered over 600 housing units in Gwarinpa estate of the Federal Capital Territory in order to ease accommodation problem for FCT residents.

The General Manager Projects of FHA, Architect Tever Gimade made the disclosure when he conducted journalists round the estate over the weekend for on the spot assessment on the level of development so far and the other on-going projects across the estate.

Gwarinpa Estate covers an approximate area of 850 hectares. Its topography is fairly undulating and well drained with seasonal streams criss-crossing the estate area, providing natural drainage channels. The prime and vantage location of the estate makes it easily accessible to places of work in Wuse, Central Area, Garki, Asokoro and other areas of economic activity in the FCT.

Elaborating on government’s commitment at delivering housing dividend to the citizens and how the project was realizable, Gimade said, “we have two partnership in Gwarinpa though they have already completed the partnership arrangement with us. The two partners ADKAN and CITEC were mandated to develop and renovate some parts of the estate.

ADKAN developed 351 while CITEC on their own developed 308 buildings and they have handed over all the buildings to us”.

It is expected that the total no of houses in the estate when completed would be about 4,802 housing units, consisting of six house types/designs and some provisions for special/individual designs. The house types include the following:

Bakassi house type- 3 Bedroom detached bungalow - 308 units Bonny ‘A 3 Bedroom block of four flats- 136 units Bonny ‘B’ 3 Bedroom block of six flats- 1,548 units Badagry 3 Bedroom semi-detached duplex - 1,320 units Masfa 4 Bedroom Twin Duplex 1,004 units

Maiwa 4 Bedroom Detached Duple 232 Units Abriba5 Bedroom detached duplex 254 unit totalling 4,802 units

Other projects being carried out in the estate according to him include reconstruction of about 26 buildings that have been fully paid for by customers, connection of Gwarinpa estate to the city water main as well as road construction in the sector 7 of the estate, which FHA has spent about #75million on.

On the progress made so far in the area of water supply to the estate, Arc. Gimade said this, “ what you have seen so far is our effort on water supply in Gwarinpa. Hitherto now, temporary water supply systems were created in the estate by establishing boreholes with ground overhead tanks and pumping system to supply water on daily basis to the residents, but now, after working with FCT water board, we have been able to connect the estate to the city main and currently, part of the estate is already fully supplied with water from the board now”.

On the solution to check the activities of illegal occupants in the estate, he lamented that, “it is an unfortunate situation that Nigerians do not consider government property as something to take good care of.

This issue has been a big problem that we have been avoiding. While we have been evicting them, we have also been ensuring that the houses are renovated and given to the rightful owners. The problem is when you evict today, you see people move to the other side.

Gimade also attributed the drainage blockage in the estate to private developers who he accused of filling the system with. The essence of the on th espot tour is to enable newsmen acquaint themselves with the level of development and the nature and extent of on going works. Presently according to Gimade, projects being carried out in the estate include reconstruction of about 26 buildings which have been fully paid for by customers, connection of Gwarinpa estate to the city water main as well as road construction in the sector 7 of the estate whioch FHA has spent about #75million on excavated objects from their sites as well as going to the extent of blocking it to pave way for lorries taking building materials to building sites.

Irrespective of that, he maintained that they still carry on with the upkeep of the drainage system.On the issue of illegal structures in the estate, he stated that FHA liaises with FCDA from time to time to demolish illegally situated structures and concluded that if there are any illegal structures still standing, they must have been erected after the demolition exercise and assured that in the next exercise, such structure shall be taken care of. He then revealed that the exercise is carried out from time to time by the development control unit which he said can be a period of 1year or 2years.