Rivers
Workers Lament Difficulty In Accessing Housing Loans
Civil servants in the South-South have expressed disappointment over the difficulty in accessing housing loans from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
The workers, in a survey conducted by The Tide’s source, said the conditions for getting the loans were too stringent and had hindered them from accessing them.
They called on government to devise other means of improving the scheme, including relaxing the conditions to enable workers to access loans from the bank to build houses.
A staff of the Federal Ministry of Information in Cross River, Mrs. Enawan Effiom, told the source in Calabar that she had approached the FMBN to access funds to build a house.
Effiom said she was disappointed to be told that she could not access the loan, except she came with a third party who should be a property developer.
The Grade Level 14 officer said on making further enquiries she was given the phone number of a developer who was based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
According her, she was told that it was her responsibility to bear the cost of the developer’s movements to inspect the building site if she eventually secured the loan.
“This is outrageous because it simply means that if I need say N2 million or N3 million to build a two-bedroom flat, the cost will eventually rise by the time I finish bearing such additional costs. Like many other civil servants, I became discouraged.
“I have also tried the ones built by the Federal Government that workers are expected to apply for. I abandoned the effort because the requirements only favoured the rich and very senior civil servants,” she said.
According to her, the houses are usually built at the outskirts of the State Capital.
“The ones for this state are located between Calabar and Odukpani.
“The inhabitants have faced so many security challenges because of the location. cannot leave there in this era of insecurity,” she said.
Effiom said that it was easier to obtain a loan from a commercial bank to build a house than getting it from FMBN.
She, however, called on government to attach less stringent conditions that would encourage workers access the loan to be able to build houses of their own.
The Coordinator, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Delta, Mr Sylvanus Onyeogo, said in Asaba that the stringent conditions for accessing loan from FMBN has remained discouraging to civil servants.
Oneogo told the source that he applied for a N5 million loan sometime ago while serving in Bayelsa, to enable him complete a housing project, but it was not realisable.
“I owned a piece of land that I wanted to develop then and I needed N5 million to augment what I had to build the type of house I wanted.
“I applied and all what they demanded from me, though stringent, l presented to them, but rather than approve the N5 million I requested, they approved N2.5 million for me.
“It was tough for me and I rejected the money. I rather sourced funds from our cooperative society to complete my project,” he said.
He said though the fund was accessible, the approvals may not meet the subscriber’s need.
On his part, the Federal Controller of Housing in Delta, Mr Victor Uduokhia, said the first phase of the housing estate built by the Federal Government at Issele-Azagba, had been fully subscribed for.
He said, however, that he was not certain whether or not the subscribers sourced their funds directly from FMBN or from other sources.
“As we speak, the first phase of the low cost Federal Government Housing Units at Issele-Azagba have been fully subscribed for.
“We are in the second phase on same site and work have reached advanced stage,” Uduokhia said.
In Rivers, a respondent complained of poor housing programme for the civil servants in the state.
A staff of the State Ministry of Information, Mr Kelvin Nengia, said: “since I came into the Civil Service in 2008, not much has been done in the area of providing housing for civil servants.
“The last time the government had a raffle draw for housing at Iriebe, Oyibo Local Government Area, was around 2009.
“Since then, nothing has been heard of the programme until recently when they gave loans to some workers in 2021,” he said.
A staff of the state-owned Radio Rivers FM Station, Mr Stanley Job, however, said that the State Gvernment had granted loans to its workers, though not enough to build houses.
Job said about 30 workers in the station received housing loans in 2021.
According to him, some civil servants in Rivers State Television also obtained the loans.
“They were given about N1 million each, which is not enough to build a house. The most the money can be used for is to acquire land,” he added.
Job urged the government to partner with private investors to drive the housing programme in the State.
The Rivers State Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to operators and occupants of an illegal dumpsite located in a residential and an industrial area along Danjuma drive, off Peter Odili Road, in Port Harcourt, to vacate or be forced out.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, issued the order during an on-the-spot visit to the area along with the enforcement team of the Ministry.
He condemned the use of the large hectare of private land by scavengers as a dumpsite in an unauthorised area to gather and sort solid waste for recycling.
Hon. Bipi said operating such dumpsite in a residential and industrial area portends grave environmental and health risk.
He also condemned the conversion of the area to a slum accommodation with shanties and illegal structures by the scavengers and other individuals.
Bipi wondered why the property owner would allow such illegal activities in his property in an area designated as residential and industrial zone.
He warned that the State Government would commence the clearing of the dumpsite and demolition of all shanties and illegal structures in the area at the expiration of the seven days deadline.
The Commissioner reiterated the unwavering determination of the Ministry under his watch to mitigate the proliferation of illegal structures and slums in Port Harcourt and other parts of the State.
On his part, the Chairman, Special Committee on Development Control of the Ministry, Tpl. David Ogbanga, said the existence of such slum is impeding the efforts of the Ministry in promoting sustainable urban development in line with the United Nations Goals on Sustainable Development.
He said besides its negative impact on urbanization, slums act as a breeding ground for miscreants and promotion of social vices. Ogbanga decried the pollution of the environment as a result of activities of the operators of the illegal dumpsite and the slum dwellers.
He vowed that in the coming days the Enforcement Team will go tough on slum dwellers and operators of such unauthorized dumpsite in Port Harcourt and its environs.
By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Charity Amiso
The House of Representatives member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 11 in the National Assembly, Hon. (Mrs) Blessing Amadi, has called on government at all levels to give more attention to the promotion of indigenous cultures and languages.
She stated this at the just-concluded Ogbakor Ikwerre OPA Branch Cultural Day at Rumuekini, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The lawmaker, who expressed concern over the danger of extinction being faced by indigenous languages and culture, said the situation needs serious government attention.
She also called on Ikwerre parents to bring their children up in the ways of the culture and traditions of the Ikwerre nation and commended the organisation for its effort in sustaining Ikwerre cultures and traditions.
Also speaking, the President General of Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organisation Worldwide, Eze Godspower Onuekwa, said Ikwerre as an ethnic nationality has distinct dressing, language and culture
Onuekwa said the organisation is working hard to ensure that the Ikwerre language and culture do not die.
He also tasked parents in Ikwerre land to teach their children the Ikwerre language and culture.
Speaking on the topic, “Dressing As An Expression of Cultural Identity”, Professor Matthew Wegwu explained the need for an ethnic group to strictly ensure its traditional attires are not abused, but worn in a proper manner in order to prevent misidentification.
He said parents must do more by advising their children on proper dressing in order to avoid being abused by following current trends in the society.
The OPA Branch Chairman of the association, Eze Chris Onunwor, and the Programme Planning Committee Chairman, Dr. Ovuchi Agwu, said the programme was organised to celebrate Ikwerre cultural heritage and urged all hands to be on deck to ensure the preservation of Ikwerre culture.
Highlights of the event were the presentation of awards to distinguished and long serving members of the association, drama presentations and wrestling bouts.
By: John Bibor
The Rivers State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has sealed some oil and gas service Companies and training firms at the Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout of Port Harcourt over non-compliance with the Physical Planning Law and Regulations of the State.
The Commissioner, Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, who led the enforcement team on the action, accused the companies of flagrant violation of standards and procedures of the Nigerian building codes and regulations of the Ministry while carrying out development projects in their premises.
He said the companies failed to comply with the requirements on the monitoring, verification and compliance exercise carried out by officials of the Ministry.
The Commissioner also frowned at the companies for also failing to honour invitations extended to them by the Ministry over the issues.
Hon Bipi said the sealing of premises of the defaulting companies was done with human face and within the ambit of the law.
He clarified that it was not meant to disrupt the operations of the companies but a necessary action to compel them to comply with safety, quality and other regulatory standards of the building industry.
The Commissioner assured that the affected companies will be unsealed as soon as they send their representatives to the Ministry to resolve the outstanding issues.
On his part, the Chairman of the Special Committee on Development Control of the Ministry, David Ogbanga, explained that the companies failed to provide relevant documents required of them, which include previous and current plans with elevations and setbacks, previous and current development permits and approval on fencing and renovation as well as Urban Infrastructure Support Plans.
He said others include Demand Notices and evidence of original receipts of payment, Reports of relevant professionals on subject plan, as well as Location Map and Survey Plan.
Ogbanga said the companies were duly served with notices of enforcement, which include that of contravention, stop work and seal-up, in accordance with relevant sections of the Physical Planning and Development Law of the State before the execution of the action.
He said the affected companies will remain sealed until their Managements demonstrate seriousness and willingness to resolve the outstanding issues.
The Chairman of the Special Committee on Development Control further stated that this will serve as a deterrent to non-compliant companies and corporate organisations in the State.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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