Federal Government Set to Address Housing Needs of Civil Servants
Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federal (HOS), Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, says Federal Government is putting in place strategies to address the housing needs of civil servants in the country.
She stated this during the inauguration of an 11-Man Committee of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme in Abuja.
The Head of Service said, Civil servants deserve quality housing estates like their counterparts in the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police.
She noted that civil servants were motivated in the past by the provision of staff quarters and this accounted for their high level of productivity.
Oyo-Ita, explained that government’s decision to address workers housing challenge was premised on the fact that housing was a basic need (necessity) in every society and a prerequisite for motivating workers.
She said the abolition of programmes to provide decent accomodation for civil servants dwindling, increasing the level of housing deficit. She added that, effort by previous administration to engage private developers to address the housing needs of civil servants did not yield positive result.
Oyo-Ita explained that the FISH programme had been designed to provide cost-effective and affordable houses for various categories of federal civil servants as a means of improving their moral and commitment.
The acting HOS also said that the programme was designed to improve civil servants’ productivity and their quality of life during and after service.
The programme, she added, would motivate and equip civil servants to become efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred.
She asked members of the committee to deliver on their mandate, adding that the expectations of Nigerians and government on them were high.
Oyo-Ita, said the President is watching, and she expressed confidence that the members would deliver, adding that they were nominated because of their track records.
Chairman of the committee, Mr Yemi Adelakun, promised that they would deliver on the mandate of ensuring affordable and decent houses for civil servants.
The committee is expected to secure group land and title documents and coordinate the participation of relevant agencies in the programme.
It is also expected that the committee seek the support of proven dealers of building materials in the programme and determine the modalities on how civil servants could access the houses on completion and mode of payment.
