Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaib Belgore, has assured contractors of payments, charging them for results and evidence of seriousness to justify their payments. This was contained in a statement signed by Badamasi S Haiba, Fsca, Director, Press and Public Relations.
” The Ministry is moving things along. Much more needs to be done. We need to see results and evidence of seriousness. The Director of Finance is here with me on this inspection to make your payment easier. No sluggish work, ” he told the contractors
Dr Belgore spoke in Lokoja, Kogi State, during his inspection tour of the mew federal Secretariat project site, Lokoja national housing estate and the Ministry’s field office in Lokoja, Wednesday, October 28th, 2025
He charged the contractors to show significant progress on site and exceed their advance payment collection before asking for valuation, saying the ministry is committed to make huge impact in the realisation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Housing Agenda
The Permanent Secretary urged the contractors to work faster, saying that the initial challenge of structural adjustment of some areas in the drawing should not be a hinderance to the entire work on the site. He also advised them to create channels to drain the water that flooded some areas on the site.
Earlier, Mr Bode Omoyeni, the Chairman, Steadylane Nigeria Ltd, the Company handling the Lokoja Federal Secretariat Project, had informed about their challenges which included; fluctuation, topography, ground water and bar soil texture which led to redesigning of the substructure.
” I want to assure the ministry that we want to deliver a quality job despite the initial challenges, and our discussion with the consultant and the ministry has already addressed the concerns we raised,” Omoyeni stated
The Director Public Building and Housing Development, Qs Pemi Temitope had earlier told the Permanent Secretary that the contract for the construction of the new Federal Secretariat in Lokoja, Kogi State was awarded in 2023, and the actual advance payment to the contractor was made in September 2024 to enable them moved to site.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary commended the staff of the Ministry’s field office in Lokoja for their hardwork, and keeping a cleaned office environment, assuring to effect the maintenance of their offices, including addressing their water challenges.
Earlier, the Federal Housing Controller, Kogi State, Arc Joy Okemute, had conducted the Permanent Secretary round the offices and the sortounding environment of the field office, and informed him of their challenges.
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