Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has announced the government’s plan to build 20,000 housing units with modern facilities for the state civil servants in the next one year.

“We have allocated a large expanse of land for mass housing, and we are going to construct 20,000 housing units for our workers,” said Mr Mbah. 

Mr Mbah disclosed this when he received the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Non-Remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Utilisation of the Funds, which visited him at the Government House, Enugu on Tuesday.

He said his government was passionate about prioritising the welfare of workers in the state through various incentives, including mass housing.

The governor gave assurance that his administration would continue to meet its financial commitment toward the welfare and well-being of the people.

“We will not only remit the 2.5 per cent to the National Housing Fund, we will also engage the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for mass housing.

“Our goal is to ensure that workers have access to housing upon retirement,” the governor said.

Earlier, the committee chairman, Rep. Dachung Bagos, said the committee was in Enugu to investigate the level of compliance with remittance to the NHF by the state and its utilisation.

He said the NHF Act, 1922, presently under consideration for amendment, “provides that every public worker, including the private sector, is to contribute 2.5 per cent  to the fund”.

Mr Bagos lauded the governor for meeting up the financial obligation of the state by remitting the mandatory contributory fund.

He, however, urged the local government councils in the state to emulate the governor’s steps.

He said the choice of Enugu State as the first for the nationwide tour was predicated on the government’s commitment to the welfare of its workers.

(NAN)