From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has handed over documents of a 3-bedroom bungalow to the father of the quintuplets in fulfilment of its earlier promise to provide free housing to Mr and Mrs Uduehi and their five children.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, handed over the documents of the house to Uduehi in Abuja, at the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Summit 2017, with the theme: “Innovative Strategies for Affordable Housing” held at International Conference Centre (ICC).

The house was donated by the EFAB Properties Ltd, an Estate Developer in Abuja.

Oyo-Ita, who had visited the family at the National Hospital Abuja on Saturday had pledged to support the family of the quintuplets with housing under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme.

Oluwakemi Uduehi, is a staff of the National Population Commission (NPC).

Oyo-Ita  at the hospital had said:  “On behalf of the Federal Civil Service, I want to tell you mother of the babies, Mrs.Oluwakemi Uduehi, a Female Civil Servant  with the National Population Commission, that the Federal Integrated Staff Housing [FISH] programme will make available to you and your family a house that can accommodate you, your husband and the children.”‎

Deputy Manager, Efab Properties Ltd, Dr Peace Ugo, who presented the documents of the house to the Head of Service who in turn handed it over to Uduehi, said the his organisation was moved with compassion to support the family of the quintuplets through the Head of Service.

He explained that it was in fulfillment  of Oyo-Ita’s promise to the family, which was done in faith.

He added that his organisation was aware that no house was ready to be delivered to them at the moment and had to stand in the gap to provide the housing to Uduehis as a way of supporting the Head of Service in fulfilling her promise.

According to Ugo, “In our over 15 years of our participation in housing delivery, what we did was part of give back to the community. It was not the plan of the organisation to give back from that particular angle but when we saw the faith with which the Head of Service did promise housing for the family, we have to come in to support her.

“We know that the FISH programme is just starting and we know that no house is readily available now to give them; we also know that a lot of people are still bidding for this particular project. We were wondering where she was going to get the house to give. So, we have to support her,” he said.

Uduehi, in his remark, thanked the Head of Service and the management of the Efab Properties Ltd for the gesture.

“I want to give God glory, I want to say God thank you for bringing these children not only to our family but to Nigeria. It is happening at this time because God has the reason for bringing them.

“I want to thank the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, that these children are coming in his time. I want to thank our mummy, the Head of Service of the Federation. When she came to the hospital unannounced, we were thinking of where we were going to go from the hospital because of where we were living. But from the moment she came everything changed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oyo-Ita, in her keynote speech at the Summit, re-echoed the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari administration to meet the housing needs of Nigerians and in particular bridge the deficit in the housing sector.

She said the Summit was organised for the engagement of relevant stakeholders such developers, financial institutions, organised private sector, government ministries, agencies international organisations and donors as well as off- takers to discuss the various options available towards a successful implementation of the FISH programme.

She disclosed that since the inter-ministerial committee on FISH programme was set up in December, 2015, the programme has recorded over 30,000 potential off-takers as at 31st March, 2015.