FG Approves N13B For Housing Loans

UYO, April 20, (THEWILL) – The Federal government through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has approved the release of N13 billion as housing loans for civil servant in the country, the Akwa Ibom State Chapter Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress Mr. Unyime Usoro has disclosed.

Mr. Usoro made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with THEWILL, saying that the loan facilities are to enable civil servants in the country own personal homes before retirement.

The loan he said was already in the Federal Mortgage Bank earmarked for the purpose pointing out that only workers who have rejoined the National Housing Fund (NHF) would benefit from the loan.

The chairman added that government and the bank had approached Labour and made arrangements for the workers to rejoin the scheme.

“The bank has repositioned itself in other states and is playing the role they are supposed to play, and has delivered so many houses to those who have been contributing, so we have to join and benefit from the scheme,” he added.

Usoro maintained that workers will have to contribute their own part for six months to the scheme before they could benefit from it; adding that the state government has agreed to contribute 2 ½ per cent to the fund on behalf of workers.

“The implication is that if we sign the agreement next week as planned, it would be considered that workers have already contributed for six months, and can automatically access the fund,” he explained.

He charged workers to be committed to their duties to reciprocate government’s gesture and cooperate with the union to ensure effective service delivery.