The Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), Mrs. Hannatu Fika, has said that 30,258 public servants have benefited from the Federal Government’s housing loan.
Fika said on Tuesday in Abuja that the board before she assumed office in 2009 as the executive secretary, granted loans to 12,538 public servants.
“Before I was appointed the Executive Secretary in 2009, a total of 12,538 public servants had obtained loans from the board.
“The first beneficiary of the board got his loan in 1954. From 2009 that I was appointed, I had given loans to 17,720 public servants.
“The board from 1954 till date had given loans to 30,258 public servants,” she said.
She explained that the board has sustainable partnership with private developers for quality affordable social housing for public servants, which has led to the commissioning of seven estates in Abuja.
She said that the board in order to ease loan accessibility for public servants, had removed the provision of collateral before a loan was given.
“Initially a public servant must provide a collateral before loan is given but with time we discovered that this was not good enough.
“We have translated to the issue of partnering with developers, a civil servant will identify their own developer, who the board would work with and monitor to ensure the loan is properly utilised for its purpose,” she said.
According to her, the board has improved loan repayment drive and that when a loan is given, the person is captured in the board’s data as someone who have benefited.
She assured that no beneficiary would escape the loan repayment, saying that even if you escape the board, you would not escape the pension commission as you would need a certificate of clearance from the board.
She disclosed that the board was partnering with other stakeholders in the housing sector such as the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Federal Housing Authority and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, among others, in providing affordable houses for public servants.
MM/GIK/APA