Stakeholders call for affordable housing for Delta people
By Mercy Obojeghren
Housing
Asaba, May 9, 2018(NAN) Stakeholders in Delta, including legislators and professionals in the housing industry, have called for the provision of decent and affordable housing for the people of the state.
They made the call on Wednesday in Asaba, during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the Delta State Property Development and Real Estate Regulatory Authority.
The Chairman, Delta House Committee on Housing, Mrs Orezi Esievo, said the people of Delta deserved decent and affordable housing.
Esievo said the committee was determined to strengthen the existing laws to empower relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to the housing sector to deliver affordable housing to the people.
She said that the house was also poised to enhance urban renewal policy of the State Government.
While commending stakeholders for being part of the public hearing, she noted that the public had the opportunity to contribute to the passage of the bill geared towards enhancing the housing sector.
Mr Anthony Elekeokwuri suggested that the bill be split into two, so that the one bothering on the regulatory function of the authority would be domiciled in the Ministry of Housing
Elekeokwuri said the other which would centre on policy formulation and implementation should be within the purview of Delta Property Development Authority (DPDA).
Also, the state Commissioner for Housing, Mr Joseph Ogeh, said the draft bill omitted builders and land surveyors as persons who were qualified to be appointed General Manager of the regulatory authority.
Ogeh said only estate surveyors, quantity surveyors, engineer and lawyer should not be the only professionals to head the authority.
The commissioner recommended, among other things, that the general manger should be appointed from the civil service and he/she should be on salary grade level 15 with not less than 10 years’ experience.
The Chairman of DDPA, Mr Paul Osaji, said that the proposed board needed an Executive Director, while the general manager could be appointed from within or outside the civil service.
According to him, competence was needed in DDPA to drive the housing policy of government.
Also, a member of the DDPA Board, Mr Joel Bisina told the committee that if nothing was done to change the governance structure of the board, the bill, if passed, might not achieve its purpose.
Bisina argued that that the regulatory function was not primarily the responsibility of the DDPA. (NAN)
MOA/EMO
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Edited by Ejike Obeta