The Cross River State has announced its plans to construct houses for the displaced persons in Nigeria for the Bakassi returnees. Ben Ayade, Cross River State Governor made the announcement as he ushered Mr. Bolaji Balogun, Lafarge Africa Chairman and members of his management team on a courtesy call in his office.
According to governor Ayade, the state will partner the cement manufacturers to actualise the housing project to start the resettlement process. He added that the initiative will bring unprecedented prosperity to the company and the state at large.
The housing estate will be located in the three senatorial districts of the state and will be known by the name Calas-Vegas City for Southern senatorial district, Centicort and Northstradam for central and southern senatorial districts, respectively.
The three cities will be made up of 5,000 housing estates to complement the existing ones which have been built by Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke. However, pre-fabricated equipment have already been ordered for the proposed estates.
Commissioners for social housing, finance, lands and agencies have been directed to collaborate with the company to kick-start the process of erecting the homes. Additionally, an American firm, the DXB Group Incorporated, will be responsible in handling the projects.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between George Ekpungu, the commissioner for new cities development and the Managing Director of DXB Group Incorporated, David Binton, who signed on behalf of his company.
Cross River State has signed into law an act making houses available for the low-income earners. The Social Housing Law, is expected to make housing for the vulnerable a right. Galway Company is in talks with a regional government in Nigeria to establish a factory that will construct up to 5,000 modular homes for a social housing project
Named after the Cross River, which passes through the state, Cross River State is a coastal state in South South Nigeria. Located in the Niger Delta, the State occupies 20,156 square kilometers. It shares boundaries with Benue State to the north, Ebonyi and Abia States to the west, to the east by Cameroon Republic and to the south by Akwa-Ibom and the Atlantic Ocean.
