By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Mortgage Bank has introduced a ‘Rent to Own’ one bedroom facility for ordinary Nigerians yearning to become house owners.

The facilities inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday are targeted at the low, middle income earners and the downtrodden to become house owners with seamless arrangements.

The provisions was made in the just completed and commissioned 748 housing units built by Federal Housing Authority FHA in Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The arrangements, according to the Managing Director, FHA Mortgage Bank, Awwal Hayatudeen Atiku, was not only to encourage house owners, but reduced to the barest minimum, the rising cost of accommodations and problems arising from shelter in the ever growing nation's capital city.

The beneficiaries in the exclusive reports, ranging from the military, para-military, primary school teachers, peasant farmers, civil servants and artisans, among many others, expressed delight over such laudable initiative by the FHA and facilitated by FHA Mortgage Bank.

A peasant farmer and one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Tina Okpe, appreciated the laudable efforts of FHA, FHA Mortgage Bank and the federal government for reverting to the original templates of ‘Housing for All’ by including ordinary Nigerians in her category.

“I never dreamt of owning a house in the nation's capital in such a serene environment for the rest of my life, but my joy knew no bounds, after all, without any cumbersome arrangements, I was invited by FHA Mortgage Bank to process necessary documents and I got my allocation paper.

“I don't know anyone in the office, from the top to bottom, but will continue to extend my gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for making this arrangement a reality.

“As a peasant farmer who is into fishery, piggery, husbandry and other commercial farming, I will in no time offset my 'Rent to Own' arrangements and become a full owner of my apartment,” she said.

Another beneficiary and a physically challenged person, Salisu Usman, said he was short of words by this singular gesture coming from the federal government.

“I don't have anything to say rather than to thank the authorities and President Muhammadu Buhari for still remembering the physically-challenged in the society. If not for this arrangements, how can government contemplate attending to the able-bodied persons before thinking of the physically-challenged.

“We pray that Almighty God will continue to remember our leaders, just like they have remembered us today and arranged a serene environment meant for the only well-to-do in the society.

“I promise to continue to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the new environment where people like us in the society are still being remembered and catered for," he said.

For Mallama Rahinat Musa, a primary school teacher and also a beneficiary, she assured the federal government of more patronage from her colleagues, so as to reduce not only the poverty rate, but accommodation problems in Nigeria.

“After due process and requirements, I got a call to come around and conclude arrangements to get my allocation. My thoughts, it was the normal mere formalities and abracadabra, but Alhamdulilah.

“We are indebted and grateful to Almighty God, the FHA and FHA Mortgage Bank along with Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari for making this laudable arrangement a reality before his exit from government.

“The success story of the allocation of houses to ordinary primary school teacher showed that our reward is no longer in heaven, and has given credence to the "Housing for all" agenda of his eight years administration,” Musa said.

For Sulaiman Anas, it was a dream come true to become a house owner in the FCT.

“When we started the processes,” Anas began, “it was like a child's play and with lack of encouragement, given the experience of the process of owning a land from the typical land agents and estate developers in Abuja.

“But to God be the glory, the FHA and FHA Mortgage Bank arrangements was far from other experiences and genuine, without proxy, we got allocation after due processes and called upon to get our allocation and today we are house owners.”

In the case of Flight Sgt. Musa Mohammed, the whole thing was still like a mirage to him, as he believed that getting such a serene allocation was either reserved for senior officers and other top government officials, but today he was one of the beneficiaries.

“The whole thing started like this, I saw the advertisement online and subscribed to it; the next thing, I got a call through a phone number contained in the advertisement, asking me to come and pick my forms and start the process of house allocation.

“I did not believe it, not until I came down to FHA Mortgage Bank, where I was subjected to all the processes, without knowing anyone in the organization. But today, I'm one of the allotees of the new Zuba FCT Federal Housing Estate.

“I’m eternally grateful to the FHA Management, federal government and pray that Almighty God will continue to give them the wisdom to sustain this laudable programme as this will reduce, to the barest minimum, housing deficit in Nigeria.

“The inclusion of both military and paramilitary was unique, encouraging and quite commendable. This is a great foresight,” Mohammed said.

•FHA Mortgage Bank MD, Awwal Hayatudeen Atiku