FG to Set up Monitoring Team to Ensure Quality Housing for N’Delta Ministry Staff

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The federal gocernment has expressed its resolve to set up an independent monitoring committee to ensure that the houses built for the staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) are of good quality.

The Minster, Senator Godswill Akpabio stated this at the official ground-breaking ceremony of the MNDA’s Staff Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Housing Estate held in Karshi, Nasarawa State.

Akpabio, who was represented by the Minister of State, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, commended the Staff Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society for initiating a laudable venture of developing 500 housing units to promote staff welfare in the ministry.

A statement issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Patricia Deworitshe stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had shown greater concern for the welfare of its citizenstaff, adding that every good government will naturally endeavour to promote welfare policies of which, housing is an important one.

He expressed delight that the Head of Service of the Federation had keyed into Buhari’s initiative by building and distributing houses to civil Servants through the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Project (FISH), which he noted, is undoubtedly a motivating factor to all federal civil servants.

According to him, the housing units being jointly developed by the Ministry’s Cooperative Society and Haleem Integrated Limited would avail the staff the opportunity to live in their own houses before their retirement.

He added that an independent monitoring committee would be set up by the ministry to ensure that the houses built for the staff are of good quality, and that the ministry would encourage, advise and support the society as it undertakes the project.

He therefore, advised members of staff of the ministry who were not part of the initiative to join accordingly because it would bring great succour to the workers who would soon become proud house owners.

In her address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, represented by the Permanent Secretary (HOS), Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe stated that, “the project strikes the right cord with our reform flagship-the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 1&11 (FCSSIP) as staff welfare is one of the priority areas of FCSSIP and provision of befitting houses is key under this plan”.

She noted that the objective is to enable all civil servants to exit the conundrum and hassles associated with tenancy to become proud owners of houses while enjoining the developers to establish a high sense of professionalism and ensure that the houses that would eventually be delivered would be of good quality that will stand the test of time.