Imported User:
The Borno State Government said on Wednesday that it would start the construction of 1,000 housing units in an estate in Maiduguri in June.
Alhaji Sugun Mai-Mele, Commissioner for Housing and Rural Electrification, said this while speaking at a news conference in Maiduguri.
Mai-Mele explained that the project would have started earlier but for some unforeseen problems.
``His Excellency the Governor, promised to embark on the construction of the houses on assumption of office last year, but the project could not take off because of a number of factors,'' Mai-Mele said.
He said that the ministry realised that the project was not captured in the 2011 budget.
``I am happy to say that all those impediments have been taken care of and hopefully by June, the project will take off,'' Mai-Mele said.
He said that government was also working towards increasing power supply in the state.
``We have held discussions with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the Energy Commission of Nigeria towards solving the acute power problem in the state.
``The PHCN actually informed us that the low supply of power was due to the problem of obsolete power transmission facilities in the state,'' Mai-Mele said.
He said that the abandoned Gombe-Damaturu 303 KVA transmission line project had been re-awarded by the Federal Government.
``The contract was awarded several years ago but the contractor abandoned the project after collecting mobilisation fee; however, the contract has been re-awarded after the state protested,'' Mai-Mele said.
He added that the contractor had promised to complete the project by September.
