COVID-19: REDAN promises 4 months free house rents to Nigerians

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 I the country, the President, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, has instructed his members nationwide not to collect house rents from Nigerians from the month of February to June due to the economic hardship the pandemic has caused in the country.

Dr. Wamakko made the disclosure shortly after donating assorted food items to support the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s palliative scheme aimed at cushioning the effect of sit-at-home order.

“We have come to terms with the reality of what is happening in the country and it is at this juncture that we instruct all our members to first and foremost reduce the prices of houses. More also, those that are taking rents, we have agreed that rent from February to June should not be collected because of this COVID-19 issue because it has touched tremendously into our economic wellbeing.

“We also ask the mortgage institutions who create mortgages that they should also be patient in collecting their mortgages from February to June. So we believe we are doing the best we can and our members are providing over 10,000 housing units here in Abuja alone and we are willing to partner with the FCTA to provide more houses.”

The palliative items donated include 200 bags of 5kg rice, 200 cartons of Indomie noodles, 50 bags of semovita and 69 bottles of groundnut oil for distribution to households to enable them comply with the sit-at-home directives.

Presenting the items to the administration on behalf of the association, Dr. Wamakko said the donation was part of the association’s corporate social responsibility especially in this critical period of the global pandemic.

Wammako used the occasion to reveal that with the sit-at-home directive, the association has come to the realization that some Nigerians are homeless while others are living in congested homes, just as he pledged that REDAN is ready to partner with the FCT Administration to systematically increase the stock of housing in the territory.

He also prayed that the nation gets over this pandemic soonest, just as he appreciated the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari, members of the Presidential Task Force, health personnel and staff of the FCT Administration who are doing their best to contain this virus.

“As part of our corporate social responsibility, we support the Federal Capital Territory Administration with some food items for distribution to households to enable them comply with the sit-at-home directives.” Wammako noted.

Receiving the items on behalf of the administration, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, who was represented by the Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Abbass Idriss, described the pandemic as a war zone, noting that the donation received so far would go a long way to cushion the effect of sit-at-home order.

“On behalf of the administration and the entire vulnerable people in the FCT, we are happy to receive these palliative items from REDAN. We appreciate this kind gesture at this critical tine.

“We are faced with a war of the coronavirus pandemic and hunger is another war of itself. We have received assistance from organisations like REDAN due to the lockdown in the nation’s capital. In the FCT, we have already commenced the distribution of the palliative and we started with Abaji area council and we are loading to go to Kuje and Kwali area councils tomorrow by the grace of God.

“We will like to go round the area councils on or before fasting commences. The government is not unmindful of the hardship people are going through and we believe that these palliatives will assist a great deal.”

Aliyu therefore called on others to emulate this kind gesture, while assuring the group that the items would be distributed to the vulnerable in rural communities.