The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Katsina have picked holes in the distribution of 350 houses constructed by the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) in the state.
The two unions said the mortgage bank wrongly distributed the houses to non-contributors of National Housing Scheme.
Our correspondent reports that the houses were recently commissioned by the state deputy governor, Mannir Yakubu. The leaders of the two unions were however absent at the commissioning ceremony.
The state chairman of TUC, Comrade Abdu Rumah, told newsmen that the leadership of the two unions were not consulted in the distribution of the houses.
“We rejected the procedure adopted by FMBN in the distribution of houses because only few workers in Katsina State benefited from the project,” he said.
He said the leadership of the unions at state level boycotted the commissioning of the houses “because management of the bank rejected our inputs.”
In his reaction, Head of Public Affairs of the bank, Ahmed Kawuji, said the bank was aware of the grievances of the union leaders.
Kawuji explained that the management had deliberated and resolved with the national leadership of the union on the procedure for allocating the houses.
He appealed to the union leaders in Katsina to remain calm, assuring that the bank would take care of all their demand soon.
Meanwhile, the state government has pledged to partner with FMBN in the provision of houses to workers.
The state deputy governor, Mannir Yakubu, disclosed this while commissioning 350 housing estate under the National Affordable Housing Programme.
He commended the bank for completion of the 350 houses in earnest and called for completion of on-going construction of the houses at different locations.
