Abdullahi M. Gulloma
With the federal government beginning the construction of 3,000 housing units in Life Camp, Abuja, about 8,000 civil servants have subscribed for the affordable housing scheme.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, has disclosed this at the unveiling of an estate developer, Brains & Hammers, saying that the housing scheme was part of President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme.
She said: “I’m standing on the strong vision of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to provide affordable housing for Nigerians. Civil servants are part of the population that is very much in need of housing.”
She said it was unfortunate that while military, para-military and other agencies of government personnel have similar housing programmes to alleviate their shelter problems in Abuja, “the core civil servants who bear the burden of implementation of government policies and programmes are more or less forgotten.”
The Head of Service said she had already discussed with the management of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) on the need to provide mortgage loan at a reduced interest rate for civil servants.
Though she did not disclose details of her meeting with the bank or the outcome, to the civil servants that is the crucial part of the project.
It worthless saying that houses abound in Abuja and elsewhere where workers reside, the problem had always been how the workers can own house. As for the military, Para-military and personnel of other agencies of government, we all know how they got to own theirs – the government built and allocate to them based on owner-occupier basis.
This, of course, is a far better arrangement for workers to own home. This is the arrangement that the Head of Service should pursue for the civil servants rather than negotiating with bank to give friendly-based loan.
However, she must be commended for her effort to house civil servants, through an initiative not thought of by her successors, which if properly implemented will see workers become landlords.
