235 Housing Constructed For Kogi Flood Victims Occupied By Politicians

The 235 housing units constructed for victims of the 2012 flood disaster in Kogi are being occupied by politicians and other unintended beneficiaries, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. 

This is so heart-breaking. Politicians that already have houses every-where in the State won’t even leave this little one for victims of flood in the state?  After FG and other organisations donated money for the houses to be built? It’s beyond shame. It’s called GREED.

The houses, located at Old Polytechnic Quarters, Lokoja, comprise two-bedroom and one-bedroom flats.

The estate was built with donations received from the federal government, corporate organisations and other philanthropists.

NAN, however, reports the houses had been converted to other uses including nursery and primary schools and other purposes different from what they were built for.

Some of the illegal occupants were discovered to control between two and three houses at the expense of the people they were meant for.

Some of the victims of the disaster expressed disappointment on the manner the issue was handled by previous governments in the state.

They complained that the former administration of the state had reneged on its promise to allocate the houses to them before vacating office.

Yakubu Abubakar, a victim, said he had been waiting endlessly for the house. He urged the state government to distribute them to the affected persons.

Another victim, Ohiani Gomina, said although allocation letters had been distributed to the affected persons, they could not move in due to government’s failure to eject the illegal occupants.

Aminatu Saleh, also a victim, said it was disheartening that the state government could not fulfil its promise four years after the incident.

She urged the government and other stakeholders to come to their aid, alleging that most of the houses had been allocated to politicians and other influential persons.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, said Governor Yahaya Bello, was aware of the problem.

He said the problem was one of the numerous inherited from the immediate past administration, assuring that the issue would be investigated soon.

“We are going to look into the matter to ensure justice the houses belong to the victims of the 2012 flood disaster.

“The victims will get the houses back,” Mr. Abdulmalik said.