The Federal Government on Friday, inaugurated 116 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalows at the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Estate at Gwagwalada Area of Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) expressed delight at the successful implementation of the project after its ground-breaking not quite long ago.
According to Yemi-Esan, FISH project is one of the key programmes of the 6 pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (2021 to 2025).
She added that the priority area of FCSSIP25 was devoted to enhancing the value proposition for civil servants, regarding their welfare.
She said the current house price with different income ratios among civil servants had made it difficult for some civil servants to purchase their own house in the nation’s capital, hence the need for government’s intervention programmes.
“To tackle these challenges therefore, and with the objectives of delivering affordable houses for civil servants, the office of the HOCSF established a FISH programme with the main objective of reducing the cost of housing for civil servants to the barest minimum.
“These houses and their keys will be delivered to those fortunate civil servants today and in the course of this event, there will be a symbolic presentation of keys to four officers who have been allocated houses in this estate, ” she said.
Also, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, who described the project as worthwhile, commended Yemi-Esan for her efforts at ensuring that civil servants working in Abuja could afford houses of their own.
“I am aware that about three years ago, my ministry under my predecessor allocated five hectares of land free of charge to the head of service for the purpose of this project.”
The minister said the vision of providing a home for Nigerians by the HOCSF was in line with the vision of renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, who had pledged 150 houses in each state of the federation.
According to Dangiwa, the vision is aligned perfectly with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope of housing and urban development.
In his remark, Mr Ibrahim Mairiga, Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), who congratulated the beneficiaries, described the Estate structure as a model worth emulating by reason of infrastructure within the premises.
Mairiga lauded the efforts by the head of service who collaborated with his office for the successful implementation of the projects.
Meanwhile, Mr Lawal Babatunde, a staff with the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, one of the beneficiaries, expressed appreciation on behalf of others.
Babatunde commended the gesture of the office of the HOCSF and the FGSHLB for creating such opportunity for civil servants.
“As civil servants from the core ministries to become proud house owners in the FCT, indeed it is a thing of joy for such an opportunity, indeed we are grateful, ” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inauguration was part of the programmes to commemorate the 2024 Civil Service Week.
The week has as its theme: ‘Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa’.(NAN
