…………………..Regular field supervision, communication by states’ controllers would provide needed update –Belgore.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Shuaib Belgore has informed of the Ministry’s intention to create a Task Team in every state to ensure proper audit of the Ministry’s properties and land in the states of the Federation, as well as look into the collection of ground rent on those properties.
Dr. Belgore, stated this during his interactive session with the 36 states and FCT Federal Controllers of Housing, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Belgore explained that the task team will include the controller in every state, representatives from the state and Federal Housing Authority, with the Surveyor -General of the Federation as the Chairman of the Task Team.
He assured them of his readiness to providing them with the resources they would need to execute their jobs so that they would not have excuse for not doing them correctly, adding that portion of the revenue will be retained for fieldwork and evaluation.
On the relevance of the assignment, he stated that “field audits and professional oversight will ensure quality and efficiency”, stressing that the importance of regular field supervision and open communication by the controllers would provide needed update to the headquarters on state-level activities.
While charging the states’ controllers on teamwork for the ministry to be effective in the discharge of its mandate, he described teamwork, hard work, and quality in project execution as essential elements to achieving successes.
“The ministry’s effectiveness depends significantly on the collaboration and dedication of its state housing controllers”, he stated.
He acknowledged the vital role of the Federal Controllers in coordinating the ministry’s projects in the states and ensuring their seamless execution.
Accordingly, Dr. Belgore highlighted the necessity of hands-on field experience, noting that effective project management cannot be learned in an office setting, but rather through active engagement on project’s sites, informing that their task would include training and mentoring of new officers when the time comes.
While expressing concern over the ministry’s human capacity challenges, giving that many officers were close to retirement, he mentioned that the ministry is planning to engage experienced professionals and implement training and mentoring programs of which the Federal Controllers will be involved in field training due to their wealth of experience.
On their part, the Federal Controllers requested the Ministry to renew the contracts of facility managers for projects in the states to avoid being vandalised by miscreants.
Earlier, Director, Human Resources in the Ministry, Akinola Adeshina, said the meeting summoned at the behest of the Permanent Secretary was to ensure synergy between the headquarters and Federal Controllers.
The engagement with state controllers indicates a hands-on approach to addressing operational challenges and enhancing efficiency at both federal and state levels.
Signed
Salisu Badamasi Haiba
Director Press and Public Relations
