THE Federal Government on Thursday disclosed that the mass housing project which is being undertaken in collaboration with development partners in the real sector for the civil servants will gulp about N30billion.
This came as the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, lamented that most civil servants in the country retire “poor and homeless” after putting in several years in the public service.
Speaking at a workshop on Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) finance in Abuja, Oyo-Ita, disclosed that over 23,000 civil servants have registered to become beneficiaries of the FISH programme.
While stressing the importance of the affordable housing scheme for the workers, Oyo-Ita said government has observed with concern that a lot of civil servants retire without any home to call their own.
She, however, said failure of most civil servants in the country to take advantage of some opportunities such as the housing scheme while still in service make them retire poor and homeless.
Oyo-Ita said this prompted the introduction of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme being anchored by the Federal Government on behalf of workers.
She said the workshop with the theme: “Delivering Affordable Housing to Federal Civil Servants” was designed to bring all the stakeholders together to brainstorm on how to ensure effective delivery of the project that is key to the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in the effort to alleviate the plight of workers.
She said though there were obvious challenges associated with the building industry such as land acquisition, finance, mortgage loans, rising cost of building materials among others, such things ought not to scare workers from attempting to own personal homes, especially where they stand to suffer the consequences after retirement.
According to the HOSF, in the first phase of the housing scheme, about 1,350 houses have been uploaded in the FISH programme with houses ranging from one bedroom to four bedrooms.
“As at today, about 1,350 houses at various locations in Abuja and Lagos have been uploaded unto FISH programme and allocation has commenced basically on ‘first come first serve basis.”
“I therefore encourage federal civil servants to take advantage of this golden opportunity provided for home ownership while in service in order to improve their quality of life after retirement,” the HOSF said.
The Permanent Secretary (Common Services Office) who doubles as Chairman FISH Implementation Committee, Yemi Adelakun, in his welcome address said the mass housing project would gulp about N30billion.
He said the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance recently announced a N13billion mortgage refinancing fund to aid the implementation of the project.
However, stakeholders in the project are also sourcing for funds from the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board at three per cent interest and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria at six percent interest rates, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Pension Commission of Nigeria among others.
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