The Bayelsa State Housing and Property Development Authority (BSHPDA), has said it was recommited to developing the real estate sector of the state.
General Manager of the Authority, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah PhD stated this on Tuesday when the Chairman and members of the Bayelsa State Independent Publishers Association (BIPA) paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Yenagoa, the State capital.
Isenah said already plans were underway for the Authority to commence the construction of a 1000 housing units which would be shared amongst the eight Local Government Areas of the state, saying the project will begin in Ogbia Local Government and thereafter go on in others.
He noted that the reason for the 1000 housing unit in the local governments areas was to create comfortable, affordable housing in those places, noting that another reason for taking that project to the Local Government headquarters was to deliberately develop other cities and towns within the state to curb the menace of royal-urban drift.
The Authority’s helmsman revealed that upon assumption of office the state governor approved for the Authority the construction of about a hundred housing unit at the Okaka Housing estate, saying the first 50 units have been completed and construction of others soon to start.
“Yes, I was appointed about six months ago, but those houses were actually built by the Authority in about three months.
“Upon my appointment, I discovered there were unused funds in the Authority’s pause, and so I approached the governor that he release it for us so that we can start-up something, and so he graciously released it to us, hence we commenced the building of the first 50units of the Housing estate at the old existing Okaka Housing estate.
“But that’s not all. The Governor has approved others for us. We’ve acquired 13 hectares of land at the gateway road, Igbogene in Yenagoa where we’ll be building another 1000 housing unit. Though we’ve not actually commenced that project, but plans have reached advanced stages”, he said.
The Authority’s boss promised to collaborate with the veteran publishers to educate and inform the public about activities of the agency, noting that the Media is a veritable tool for mutual partnership, hence he intends to work on a robust engagement with them.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of BIPA, Mr Francis Dufugha said the association opted to pay the BSHPDA helmsman the visit due to his outstanding performance just few months in the saddle.
Dufugha, who is the Publisher of Nigeria’s foremost regional tabloid, ‘Niger Delta Herald’, commended the Authority’s boss for his forthrightness and preparedness in executing the mandate of his office.
Similarly, the association has appealed to the Authority to facilitate the release of plots of land allocated members of the association during the late Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha’s administration.
The group noted that they have done all necessary documentations, yet the lands have not still been given to members of the association by successive administrations of the state.
“We came to felicitate with you on your achievements just six months in the office. In just six months in office, you’ve build about 50 units of housing estate at the Okaka Housing estate, and so we felt we should come for this visit and commend you on your stewardship of the BSHPDA”, the Association said.
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