BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – The Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (SMCSL) of the Federal University, Wukari in Taraba State has launched the construction of a 100 unit housing estate for staff of the institution.
President of the Cooperative Society, Dr Akpa Hassan, at the groundbreaking ceremony in Wukari, on Saturday, said that the project is aimed at addressing the housing deficit in the university.
Hassan, who is also the Bursar of the university, said that the project is an initiative of the Cooperative in line with its drive to make the working environment more conducive for university staff.
He said; “As president of the cooperative, I am concerned about the rate in which our members are seeking loans to pay house rent and complaints about harassment from their landlords and landladies”.
Hassan explained that the cooperative in collaboration with Archtech Property Investment Ltd are to execute the project, adding that the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria would fund the project just as the counterpart fund has been paid by both the cooperative and the consultant.
He also said; “Federal University, Wukari, is not sited at the state headquarters and, as it is typical of most satellite towns, there is acute deficit of decent housing for our workers. The few ones that are there, workers have been harassed severally once they delay in payments.
“And so we feel that, though it is a difficult task, it is better that we take up the challenge of providing decent homes for our workers and members of this cooperative through an arrangement that would not put so much financial pressure on them.
“This is a challenging task, but we cannot afford to stay aloof because it is a daunting task. The tough times call for tougher decisions from tough people,” he said.
In his own remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Jude Samani Rebo, while commending the initiative of the cooperative, noted that there is a lot of housing deficit in the university.
He said that even though the initiative may not be able to address 20 per cent of the housing deficit, it would go a long to cater for the staff of the university in the meantime.
Rebo said; “I know that Archtech Nigeria Ltd is a very serious company and I am confident that this is just the beginning of more of such projects in this university. Let us pray that this project is successfully completed. I encourage the cooperative to maintain the tempo of development that they are bringing to the school”.
The Aku Uka of Wukari and Chairman, Taraba State Traditional Council, Dr Shekarau Angyu Masa Ibi, who performed the ground-breaking, assured that as the host community, the people would do everything within their powers to ensure the security of the property.
Managing Director of Archtech Property Investment Ltd, Mr Adeolu Adewale, assured that the company would deliver quality homes with good finishing materials.
