FG seeks Alternative Sources Of Funding To Meet Housing Deficit

The Federal Government is seeking alternative sources of funding to boost the Integrated Staff Housing Programme.

The Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Ngozi Onwudiwe made this known at a sensitization programme for public servants in Abuja.

The sensitization programme entitled “Processes and Procedures of Accessing a House under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing”, FISH brought together public servants across Ministries Departments and Agencies to discuss the gains, challenges and ways to improve the welfare of public servants in acquiring a befitting accommodation before retirement.

Mrs Onwudiwe explained that the office would not relent at exploring various means to source for more funding to meet the yearnings of public servants.

She said the programme had embarked on rigorous screening of developers for efficient service delivery.

In her words “We may not be moving at the pace initially envisaged for the Programme to deliver homes to public servants, but we are working to ensure the sustainability of the programme so that all subscribers will be able to access quality homes. This brings us to the main focus of this Sensitization Programme, which seeks to create the awareness required to drive the smooth implementation of the FISH Programme.”

Answering questions from the participants, The Director of the FISH programme, Mrs Uchenna Obi, stressed that the programme would collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that available estates were habitable with necessary infrastructure.

In his presentation, Executive Secretary Federal Government Staff housing Loans Board, Mallam Ibrahim Mairiga represented by the Head of Information of the Unit, Mr. Akinwale Adegbola, said the board treats every one equal on a first come first served basis within the available resources and the loan ceiling of the individual.

According him, “The Mandate of the Board as stipulated in the Law establishing it is to manage a housing loan scheme under a revolving fund and to grant soft loans to all interested Public Servants within the limit of available resources and in accordance with relevant regulations to enable beneficiaries Build residential houses in Nigeria; Purchase residential houses in Nigeria; and Improve (renovate) or extend existing residential houses in Nigeria.”

Some of the participants appealed to the board to also accord priority to those who desire loans to build their own houses.

One of them, Mr. Olalekan Adigun urged the FISH office to always update Ministries, Departments and Agencies on the available estates to enable more civil servants to key into the programme.

Florence Adewale/Abuja