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Members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Thursday expressed support for the proposed investigation into the activities of fraudulent estate developers across the country.
The lawmakers who frowned at the antics of the private developers who duped unsuspecting Nigerians including civil servants called for decisive action in tackling the 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 (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.
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“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 o members of the public at affordable rates.”
He, however, noted that: “despite the attractive and motivational incentives by successive governments, there is still a huge housing deficit for a low and even medium income earner who is desirous of owing their Houses, as a result, the Public-Private Partnership arrangement has become a veritable tool in the hands of the people who masquerade as estate developers to dupe unsuspecting Nigerians who are seeking affordable Houses.”
He averred that the “fraudulent activities going on in the Housing sector have resulted in loses several billions of naira by innocent Nigerians and also hampered the Housing development policy of the Government, and desirous of putting a stop to those unwholesome practices by putting in place strict monitoring and regulatory mechanisms in the housing sector,” he said.
In his remarks, Sergius Ogun (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: “If a man has these basic needs, then corruption would reduce, civil servants are duped of their savings by developers who connive with civil servants to dupe victims.
“Government must regulate the activities of the developers,” he said.
To this end, 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.
