Workers Task Amaechi On Housing

Some public workers in Rivers State have urged the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi to reconsider the various challenges and plight of workers in housing in the sate and make it part of his priority programmes.

The workers who spoke  The Tide at the Civil Servants Christmas party in Port Harcourt posited that they had expected the governor to touch the  area of housing for civil servants in his speech at the ceremony, but that he did not say anything on that, knowing fully that Rivers workers suffer hardship so much on accommodation.

One of the civil servants at the party who does not want his name publicized said that he was very happy when he heard of the Christmas party, which he said was quite unusual and was full of expectation that the governor will use the forumto put some things straight especially housing for workers.

He said, “after his speech, I discovered that he did not say anything on housing, and this is an area that he will receive more support of workers, if he does something about it. Workers will be interested in policies that will provide housing for them.”

Another officer in the Ministry of information and Communication (name withheld) said that the level of concern the governor will give to workers housing will determine how well he cares for workers in the state, adding that any meaningful government will always consider the well being of her workers, especially in terms of housing.

According to the Information officer “I expected the governor to reassure workers on housing, because this is an area where workers have been lamenting, and government should not keep quiet or pay just lip service to workers housing needs, or do it at a very slow pace.”

To this end, he urged the state governor to take the housing needs of workers more seriously and evolve modalities for tackling the challenges, pointing out that good housing policy, will not only bring satisfaction to the people, but that even the government will be fulfilled at the end for solving the problem of its workers.

Meanwhile a Rivers State indigene in the private sector, who is also a professional in the Real Estate sector, Mr. Paul Woke in his own submission on meeting workers housing need in the state said that civil servants in the state are mostly tenants and are being extorted continuously by landlords and house owners.

He said if government can commit it about five to ten percent of its annual budget to affordable mass housing, many civil servants will own their own homes within 10 years, while the cost will be recouped through an agreed mortgage repayment system within the said period of time.

Corlins Walter