Many reside in dingy hotels, ask for
N20m to rent secure, fit and proper
homes in Abuja

By Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja

Six months after President
Muhammadu Buhari swore in his
ministers, most of them have still
not settled down in Abuja and are
groaning because the N4 million
approved by the president as their
yearly accommodation allowance
have not been able to rent any
meaningful house in Abuja,
THISDAY has learnt.

The N4 million, THISDAY findings
reviewed, can only rent flats and not
homes, and giving the need for
security, those flats which have
many other tenants in the building,
are not secure or fit for purpose.
Usually, accommodation for
ministers, special advisers and
other political office holders is
quickly resolved shortly after their
swearing-in to enable them settle
down to their official
responsibilities.

But owing to the inadequacy of the
funds approved for their
accommodation by Buhari, some
ministers have been forced to stay
in dingy hotels or squat with friends
and relatives, it was gathered.

The ministers, THISDAY learnt, are
concerned that it would be next to
impossible for them to get
accommodation befitting their
offices with N4 million in Abuja and
have repeatedly appealed to Buhari
to review it upwards to N20 million
per annum, but their request has
been turned down.

According to a source in the
presidency, “In a bid to make their
case, all the ministers who had
formed a committee on the issue of
their accommodation met with
Buhari last week Wednesday, but he
rejected their request because his
hands are tied by the Remuneration
Act, even though he empathises
with their situation.

“They were asking for N20 million
per annum for their
accommodation. But prior to last
week’s meeting, several other
options had been proposed,
including buying an estate or the
FCDA (Federal Capital Development
Authority) building one, but these
were considered expensive and
dropped.

“The final option was the request
for N20 million per annum, because
some ministers are squatting in
Abuja and the situation is impacting
on their jobs.”

However, the president was said to
have balked at increasing the
accommodation allowance to N20
million on the grounds that the
administration could suffer a
backlash from the public.

The source also explained that the
N4 million approved by the
president was in line with the
current remuneration package for
public office holders in the
ministerial cadre set by the
Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation
and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)
under the Remuneration Act of
2007.

Under the current package,
ministers are entitled to N4,052,800
as housing allowance per annum.
The housing allowance is 200 per
cent of a minister’s annual
remuneration.

They are also entitled to
N6,079,200 as furniture allowance.
The furniture allowance is 300 per
cent of a minister’s annual salary.
But unlike the housing allowance,
the furniture allowance is paid once
in four years. This means the
furniture allowance per annum is
N1,519,800.

THISDAY also gathered that
ministers will be entitled to
N8,105,600 as motor vehicle
allowance, but will come in the
form of a loan repayable by the end
of a minister’s tenure.

However, aides of the ministers
conversant with the problem,
informed THISDAY that some
compromise would have to be
reached so that the ministers could
find decent accommodation in
Abuja.

“We hope there will be a meeting
point over what the president has
approved for the ministers and the
special advisers who are on the
same level, as the N4 million is not
realistic at all.

“Some of these public office
holders were past governors and
chief executives in private concerns
before they were appointed, and it
will be unfair to downgrade their
living standards,” one ministerial
aide stated.

He added that the nature of their
jobs also requires some ministers
to host local and foreign dignitaries
at their residences when they visit
Abuja.

“By virtue of their office, some
ministers such as those in charge
of foreign affairs, budget and
national planning, finance, trade
and investment, health, and
education, among others, often host
foreign dignitaries from missions,
embassies and international or
multilateral donor agencies.
Accordingly, they would need
befitting accommodation.

“It would not be in our interest for
such dignitaries to be hosted in tiny
flats or in far flung suburbs outside
the metropolis, which is what the
N4 million can afford at the
moment. Besides, there might also
be security concerns about allowing
ministers to live in such suburbs or
even hosting foreign dignitaries
there.

“Right now, the absence of
accommodation also means that
many of them have not been able to
relocate their families and have
been shuttling on a regular basis to
cater to the home front.
Realistically, that will be a
distraction that the administration
could do without,” the aide said.

Another aide, who preferred not to
be named, blamed the problem on
the monetisation programme of the
Olusegun Obasanjo administration,
resulting in the sale of official
residences built for ministers and
other top government functionaries
in Abuja.

“In the past, former ministers lived
in purpose-built spacious mansions
in Maitama, the Ministers’ Hill, also
in Maitama, and the Ministers’
Quarters in Mabushi, which were all
within the Abuja metropolis.

“But those official residences were
sold to former ministers. So their
successors have had to rent
accommodation starting with the
Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“And with the N4 million approved
by President Buhari, it is next to
impossible for the ministers to rent
anything decent,” the source said.
He added that the problem does not
just apply to ministers but also the
principal officers of the National
Assembly.

“The Obasanjo administration
should not have sold the official
residences of the Senate president,
the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and their deputies
to Senator David Mark, Hon. Dimeji
Bankole, and others.

“Today, the FCDA is spending
billions of naira building another
set of official residences for the
National Assembly’s principal
officers. Had the government
retained them, billions could have
been saved in building a new set of
residences for the leadership of
parliament,” he said.

A survey carried out by THISDAY
revealed that a four to five-bedroom
detached house in Wuse II, Abuja,
goes for anywhere between N8
million to N10 million per annum.
The rate is almost the same in
Gwarinpa Phase 1 and Utako, Abuja,
while a four-bedroom detached
house in Maitama or Asokoro goes
for between N10 million and N15
million per annum.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/05/02/accommodation-crisis-hits-buharis-ministers/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

Am FTC no doubt, but let me listen to what the next person have to say.

But wait ooo, #20M for accommodation per annum is much ooo. Abi dem want buy d house?

this places pmb in a tight corner,he may have to increase that housing allowance if he wants his cabinet members to achieve the desired objectives of his administration.

They should resign if they don't like it. How much are civil servants paid annually? Are they more human than the civil servants? The masses dey suffer while few people in the corridor of power want comfort.

But owing to the inadequacy of the
funds approved for their
accommodation by Buhari, some
ministers have been forced to stay
in dingy hotels or squat with friends
and relatives, it was gathered

Lol! There's NEVER Been a bigger lie than this.

Even Lie Mohammed go fear this lie.

“But those official residences were
sold to former ministers. So their
successors have had to rent
accommodation starting with the
Goodluck Jonathan administration.

So the Zombies were planning to bash Mr Democracy until they saw this!

yes the can resign if they're not intrested

Why should Ministers' Estate be sold? The error should be corrected by reversing the sales and returning whatever money paid by those that bought them...

if not, they should two bedroom apartments for themselves in Abuja. Four to six of them in a building would guarantee the maximum security.

Anybody that bought properties built for government officials should return it asap. The time for alingo dance is over.

The country has to be serious going forward.

According to Donald Duke Fmr Gov of CRS, he said and I quote, "If it doesn't suits you, resign"

According to Donald Duke Fmr Gov of CRS, he said and I quote, " If it doesn't suits you, resign"

This is a catch 22 situation.
Although frugality is not a vice, but when ministers are not comfortable they can not concentrate. This can provide unscrupulous contractors and other favour seekers avenue to exploit and entice them with 'gifts'.

Be that as it may, this will be a true test of their character.

when would our leaders think of how to serve the masses instead of stealing or Money.

Serious?

4million can't rent a decent house in ABJ?

But they have cars nah.

Why not live in places like gwarimpa? They have sharp securities around them.


Nonsense.