‘‘In cases where government builds facilities like hospitals, roads, etc, the disease is never to maintain such projects – a concomitant of massive fraudulent activities…There are several abandoned projects throughout the federation in the name of ‘arranged’ contracts and never to be completed infrastructures’’ – Quoted in Nowinta’s book,2009 :Where We Are (page 99)
Pebbles with Igbotako Nowinta
There is no disputing the fact that shelter is one of the basic essentials of every human being. Many public commentators have argued correctly too that if someone’s shelter problem has been solved, then about fifty percent of his worries is over.
That is why Federal and State governments, private and public organizations all over the world have strenuously put in place one type of housing scheme or the other to assist their workers and the general public in obtaining affordable shelter over their heads.
Even the nefarious activities of some naughty and greedy landlords in most places in Nigeria are not helping matters, as they annually add certain outrageous percentage to house rents, thereby sentencing or putting those citizens who are yet to build or acquire their own shelters to a humiliating corner of worry and pains.
It is also in the spirit of making it abundantly possible for workers to have their own houses that various cooperatives bodies in places like University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), University of Benin (UNIBEN), Nigerian Institute of Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) and other numerous ministries/agencies within and across the federation have put in place convenient loan facilities/land acquisition schemes.
Such programs have benefitted and are still benefitting thousands of their staff in terms of being able to erect shelters above their heads.
Therefore, it has been said in some quarters that it is in this welfaristic and altruistic tendencies that has made the board and management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) to engage in land balloting for its workers recently.
In a circular letter of May 11th, 2015 signed by one Asani LBT (Mr.), administrative officer 1(Clinical services) for the Chief Medical Director, (Professor Michael Ibadin), titled Balloting For Non -Union Staff Members of University of Benin Teaching Hospital said that: ‘‘This is to inform staff of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital that the Federal Ministry of Housing will be conducting land balloting for them.
All members of staff (both senior and junior) who have spent a minimum of 10 years in the service of the Hospital are eligible.’’
Indeed, a Land Allocation Committee has been put in place with a Chairman. As at today the said land in question is within the premises of UBTH (about 250 plots),while 75 plots have been balloted for after the payment of non-refundable fee of #5,000.00(five thousand naira).A full plot goes for N600,000 while half a plot is N370,000.
Now what is standing between the successful staff in the balloting exercise is the Certificate of Occupancy (C&O) which is presently being processed before payment will be accepted from them.
Ultimately, after the impending payment the successful staff will end up building their permanent structures within UBTH.
From every indication this land balloting exercise is a fantastic initiative as all categories of staff within the UBTH will be beneficiaries.
An anonymous top management staff of UBTH told Alltimepost.com: ‘‘All members of the various unions balloted in the exercise as approved by UBTH board and management, which is the apex decision-making body enshrined by the federal government.
The approval was from the board of management of UBTH. This exercise will never impede futuristic development in UBTH because there is adequate massive land space available within the UBTH…
Commenting further the source said: ‘This process is a wonderful way of carrying everybody along vis-a-vis different categories of cadres from the messenger to the highest levels.
It is very advantageous because it gives opportunity to staff who before now has been unable to acquire landed property.’’
But in all of this, as the saying goes: ‘all Lizards are lying on their stomachs; you cannot ascertain the one with terrible stomach ache.’ The point being made here is that this development has received knocks in some quarters.
And in a democracy such as the one we have in Nigeria dissenting views are not supposed to be discarded but entertained.
But, in the end superior arguments must be allowed to prevail. Therefore, a source declared: ‘‘Is it that the Federal Government is so broke that it now condescends to collaborate with the Ministries of Health, Housing and Land &Survey to sell its precious land in Federal agencies and ministries at giveaway prices?
“Could this be an avenue of raising funds to recover from the battered economy, as some of these lands were met for second and third phases projects and staff quarters? In UBTH will there still be room for expansion in the future?
“Turning a portion of UBTH land into permanent structure for some of its present staff is not too healthy.
“One wonders why Federal Ministry of Housing is converting UBTH land into a housing estate, where the foundation already laid for junior staff quarters long ago has been abandoned to fate.’’
At this juncture I beg to drop my pen!
Nowinta wrote, WHERE WE ARE – A Call for Democratic Revolution in Nigeria.
