FRC, HOUSING MINISTRY RAISE CONCERNS OVER SLOW PROGRESS AT RENEWED HOPE HOUSING PROJECT IN DELTA
Oru Leonard
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development have raised concerns over the slow pace and quality of work at the Renewed Hope Affordable Housing Programme (RHAHP), project in the Asaba-Uvwie-Ekpan axis of Delta State.
The concern followed an inspection of the 96-unit housing project by the FRC South-South Verification Team on Selected Federal Government Projects as part of its ongoing physical verification exercise across the region.
The verification team observed that only four of the 96 housing units were nearing completion, while several components of the project, including roofing and infrastructure works, remained incomplete.
The Team Lead and Head of the Strategic Communications Directorate of the FRC, Mr. Bede Ogueri Anyanwu, expressed concern over the pace and quality of work at the site.
Anyanwu said the Renewed Hope Affordable Housing Programme was designed to improve living conditions and expand access to affordable housing and essential services for Nigerians.
He noted that the level of work observed at the site did not appear to reflect the objectives of the programme, urging the contractors to return to the site and complete their assignments in line with approved standards.
He specifically called on M/s Goodnews Creative Ideas Limited and M/s First Class Capital Project Limited to return to the project site and address outstanding works, particularly roofing.
The verification team also observed that wind had damaged some roofing sheets on completed sections of the buildings, prompting concerns about the quality and durability of materials and workmanship.
The team further sought explanations for the non-commencement of several project components, despite reports that the contracts were awarded in 2024.
Contractors and consultants identified in connection with the outstanding works include M/s Gozcon Investment, responsible for electricity works; M/s Blue Sea Investment Limited, handling road and drainage infrastructure; M/s Goodnews Creative Ideas Limited, also handling road and drainage works; and M/s Ecosphere Consulting Limited, consultant for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the Renewed Hope Estate project in Delta State.
The representative of the Controller, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Delta State, Architect Uche Nwati, was invited to clarify the status of the project and the reasons for the limited progress.
Nwati attributed some of the challenges to what he described as inadequate feasibility studies conducted before the contracts were awarded. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of work executed at the site.
The FRC team stressed the need for contractors handling Federal Government projects to deliver according to approved specifications, timelines and quality standards, particularly projects intended to provide critical social infrastructure to Nigerians.
Other members of the verification team were Mrs. Anthonia Danjuma of the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate; Mr. Into-Sam Audu of the Investigation Unit; Mr. Cyri Longpam of the Secretariat of the Commission; and Quantity Surveyor George Nwarie, FNIQS, representing the quantity surveying profession.
The inspection is part of the FRC’s ongoing physical verification of selected Federal Government projects across the South-South geopolitical zone, focusing on project implementation, value for money and compliance with approved standards and specifications.
