Tinubu did not approve N126bn day after making son-in-law head of FHA

Claim: Nigerians have posted on multiple social media platforms that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the sum of N126 billion for the construction of houses across the country a day after he appointed his son-in-law, Oyetunde Ojo, as the Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

Verdict: The claim is misleading. While it is true that the president approved the sum of N126bn for the construction of housing estates across the country, the appointment of Ojo was made a week after the approval of the fund was made public.

Full Text

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 15 announced the appointment of Oyetunde Ojo, as the Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

A statement by the spokesperson of the president, Ajuri Ngalale, stated that Ojo, who is married to Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, is a former Member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives with over a decade of work experience in the housing and hospitality industries.

But the appointment has generated criticism of the president with critics pointing out that it shows a high level of nepotism by the president.

Also, a civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in a statement said section 14(3) of the Federal Constitution on the federal character principle was breached by “President Tinubu in his penchant to give all the most strategic appointments in the defence, finance and crude oil sectors to his kinsmen instead of spreading those appointments that touches on the national economy and in direct breach of the principles of merits and competencies.”

In the midst of continuous condemnation, netizens have drawn connection of the appointment with the release of N126bn, suggesting plans to make the funds available for misappropriation.

The tweet which was posted by several accounts on X and other platforms claimed that “He made his son-in-law the MD of the Federal Housing Authority just yesterday. Then the following day, he approved N126 billion for the provision of housing nationwide.”

Verification

To verify the information a keyword search of “Tinubu approves N126bn for housing” was made on Google search engine and turned up with media reports of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, confirming the approval of the N126bn fund for housing project.”

But the reports were dated February 9, meaning the disclosure was made a week after the appointment of Ojo.

Dangiwa had disclosed that the president approved the N126.5bn for the delivery of a total of 100,000 houses nationwide in 18 months, according to Leadership Newspaper.

The report also quoted the minister to have said the money was approved in 2023.

“As you will recall, Your Excellency has graciously approved the total sum of N126.5bn from the 2023 supplementary and 2024 budget for these projects including slum upgrade and urban renewal. We have also made cross subsidy a key part of our efforts to enhance affordability for low-medium income earners to foster integrated living.”

He added that the funding for the projects would come from a mix of sponsors comprising the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development’s budgetary allocation, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), and Public Private Partnerships with reputable developers.

Conclusion

It is misleading to claim that President Tinubu approved the sum of N126bn for the construction of houses a day after appointing his son-in-law as the head of the Federal Housing Authority.