Yobe: We executed 14 projects worth N10.03bn in 11 years -Commissioner

From Uche Uche, Damaturu

Yobe state Commissioner of Land and Housing, Alh. Bukar Dauda Yahaya has disclosed that his ministry, which was created as a result of the merger of the defunct Ministry of Lands and Survey and the Ministry of Housing, has executed 14 projects worth N10.03 billion from 2007 to 2018.
He made the disclosure while speaking to our reporter on the achievements of the Gaidam-led administration from the inception into office in 2017 to date and how it has impacted positively on the lives of people of the state, economically and socially.
A breakdown of the projects and their financial cost, shows that the ministry has constructed a total of 701 duplex in local government zonal sectorial houses, and state estate houses at a total cost of NN8.8 billion, construction and renovation of special advisers’ office complex, bedroom chalets at the state presidential lodge, among others.
He pointed out that the ministry has, under the year in review, generated the sum of N579.34 as revenue from the owner occupier housing scheme based on the 65% discount rate from October, 2007 to 2018 and another sum of N60.6 million as internally generated revenue from land administration.
The state government, through the ministry, he stated, has also spent the total sum of N1.23 billion on payment to land owners for acquisition of land for projects that includes the land for the cargo airport, NAFDAC office, Army barracks in Damaturu and Geidam local government, purchase of GAAT hotel, among others, in the state capital, Damaturu.
Other achievement recorded by the administration of Governor Gaidam within the year under review includes, the undertaking initiatives towards authentication of solid minerals deposit and attracting investors towards exploitation and revenue generation, and also has facilitated the Yobe state chapter of Nigerian miners to secure equipment worth N20 million from the raw material research and development council in collaboration with the Yobe state mineral resources and environmental management committee.
The ministry has also spend the total sum of N331.3 in project supervision of projects, and another sum of N543 million for the development of a total of 258 units of two and three bedroom estates from financial assistance of the Yobe state government and the federal mortgage bank, among others.
He commended the state Governor, Alh. Ibrahim Gaidam for the various policies and programmes the present administration in the state which has continued to provide the dividends of democracy and ensuring positive transformation of the livelihood of people in the state.