Facebook is taking a bold step to address the deficiency in housing in the United States. Among other things, the silicon giants have announced a $1 billion commitment to counter the high cost of housing which the emergence of tech industries have contributed immensely to. A statement issued by the cofounder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg says:

“Today Facebook is committing $1 billion to help address the affordable housing crisis in California and other communities where we work. While the technology industry has created many jobs and opportunities, it has also made certain places less affordable to live — and we want to help solve this.

“As part of today’s commitment, we’re partnering with California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State of California to create up to 20,000 new housing units to help teachers, nurses, first responders and other workers live closer to the communities that need them.

“We’ve been investing in our local communities for some time now and we know money alone is not the answer. That’s why we’re working with people from the community, policy makers, and other companies to address the problem together. It’s an issue that’s really important and I hope we can help find solutions that can work in more cities.”

This step taken by Facebook is setting a precedent that other companies can learn from, especially in cities like Lagos Nigeria.

Lack of affordable housing is a problem that Lagos State resonates with. The emergence of companies has determined the inflow of workers from all walks of life, creating a vacuum in already existing loopholes.

Evidently, the State Government has been but helpless in bridging the gap in the housing sector and the efforts of the private sector isn’t enough. The situation over the years has resulted in a “cash and carry” system in the housing sector, where the poor and low wage workers are getting pushed out of many residential areas because due to the high cost.

And there is little hope because companies and industries keeping finding markets in Lagos without alternative housing provision for their workers. So the demand keep going higher, and house owners have learned to renovate to suit the current demand at a cost that most people who live in the areas cannot afford.

Many of them are firefighters, policemen, and paramedics etc. those who provide community services and have to go many miles to get to work on the daily, because the cost of housing has pushed them far away from the communities of their service.

The current stance of the State Government on affordable housing beams a dim hope, and therefore calls for external support. The Facebook’s gesture becomes a practical lesson: Big corporations making money in Lagos have always depended on already existing houses for the accommodation of their workers, and that has blown the housing crisis into bigger proportions.

For instance, Dangote’s refinery in Ibeju Lekki, at completion, is expected to employ hundreds of workers. And apart from what is readily available, there is no other provision to accommodate the inflow of people that will emanate from the new industry.

So more people will get pushed away, and will have to spend their earnings on transportation to work.

It’s a sad reality that the big corporations making money in Lagos can help with by considering housing as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

If the example of Facebook is followed in Lagos, it will result in more productivity and efficiency through the minimization of the time workers spend in traffic.

The proposed Operation Positive Identification by the Nigerian Army has become another row the country has to contend with. The Army says it is embarking on the operation in an effort to identify criminal elements operating within the country, and thus has issued the following ultimatum to the general public.

Effective from 1st November – 23rd December 2019

Residents shall witness a large number of security operatives on the roads

Operation Positive Identification (OPI) requires you move with valid means of identification – National identity card, voter registration card, drivers license etc.

Give additional time for routine movement and travel locations.

Dress responsibly.

With the above information, the Nigerian public has been warned to get ready for what is to come.

However, the development has not gone down well with the National Assembly who without hesitation registered its displeasure with the Army.

Members of the House of Representatives said on Tuesday that the exercise is illegal and outside the constitutional mandate of the Nigerian Army. They called it “an exercise in futility.”

The Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, told the House that the exercise will trample on people’s fundamental rights to move around freely. He said it is more like imposing a state of emergency on the country through the back door.

The logic by the Army justifying the exercise has been the alleged inflow of foreigners into the country, which is believed to be contributing to the high rate of banditry and criminality.

But Elumelu argued that the security challenges in the country are not an excuse, if at all there should be an exercise like that, it should be pro people. Not something like this that will stir unrest and disrupt normal engagements of the people. He also pointed out that the Army infringed on the constitution of the federal republic by not acting according to the provision of the law that mandates it to get the approval of the House.

Another Rep. member, Tobe Okechukwu opined that an exercise like this should not be coming from the Army. He said it is the job of agencies, like the police, immigration and civil security agencies.

“When we are under attack in the Northeast, Northwest and other parts of the country, the Army wants to do operation positive identification which is not within their job description,” he said.

He added that the Army will be useful in the theatre of war and should be deployed therein, instead of engaging in an unfruitful practice that will disturb the general peace of the people. Moreover, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has not been able to provide identity cards for Nigerians. So there is no moral ground for the Army to go about asking the people for identification.

Another Rep. Ahmed found it disgusting that upon all the security issues facing the country, the Army believes that operation positive identification will provide a solution.

He said “If our security chiefs are out of ideas, they should let Nigerians know, So that we get others to assist in the fight against insecurity.

“It takes my constituents about 14 hours to get home on a normal day. If we have to now include this identification, how many hours will they now spend on the way before getting home”?

Other implications of the exercise go beyond rural arrears. A lot of people in the urban places too don’t have means of identification. IDs come from jobs and many don’t have jobs, the story of national identity card remains the same everywhere. Drivers license is for those who need it.

So the concern of the National Assembly is that many Nigerians will get locked up or brutalized by the Army just because they don’t have means of identification, which is not their fault. Therefore, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted the motion mandating the House Committee on Army to interrogate the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Col. Burutai, in view of finding out the real motive behind Operation Positive Identification.