600 Abia civil servants get FG's N3.6 billion loan for housing

No fewer than 600 Abia civil servants will soon become proud owners of their own houses following successful approval of their applications by the federal Mortgage bank for national housing loan fund.

The Managing Director of the Platinum Bank PLC , Sir Emmanuel Mbaka presented the first set of 600 applicants  approved by the federal mortgage bank  for the housing loan worth  about N3.6 billion to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in Umuahia thus making Abia one of the states to benefit from the scheme since the  creation of the state in 1991.

He regretted  that despite remitting two percent of their monthly salaries to the federal mortgage bank since the creation of the state, civil servants in Abia state had never benefitted from the national housing scheme of the Federal mortgage bank.

Sir Mbaka said it was for that reason that the Platinum bank looked at what it would take  to assess the loan and engaged Trademore company to produce the buildings at Ubani Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA consisting of 900 housing units.

He said that the bank would  soon collect names of civil servants for the 2^nd batch of the programme and thanked the Abia state Governor, Dr Ikpeazu for his support.

Responding,  Ikpeazu thanked  Mbaka for his commitment and depth of contact which led to realization of the dream.

His words: ‘’I must start by locating our gratitude  on the doorstep of our brother, Engr Mbaka who taught it wise to repatriate not only his expertise but one of his businesses in Umuahia in order to make sure that we become players at the national level when it concerns issue of mortgage. Without his commitment and depth of contact it would have been very impossible for us to be counted as beneficiaries".

 Ikpeazu noted that the gesture would be more appreciated in realisation of the fact that it came "when it has become almost impossible for an average worker to conceptualize ownership of a house he can call his own in Nigeria due to the economic recession.”

He recalled  that his government a few months ago in partnership with the Platinum bank  gave out 10 houses to the indigent.

Ikpeazu disclosed that his government had  secured  five additional buses to convey traders who may wish to relocate to Ubani Ibeku market out of their free will.

According to him, the Ubani Ibeku area will become the new town in the near future as many commercial activities will be located there in the near future.

In an interview, the Abia  state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, comrade Uchenna Obigwe expressed gratitude to the Governor and the Platinum bank for making the dream of the Abia worker to own his own house come through and assured the Governor that workers in Abia State will support his re-election bid as he has done well for the state.