Business

FG Housing Loan Scheme: Applicants Want Probe

Published

9 years ago

March 27, 2017

Some applicants of the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Scheme, have called for a probe of the activities of Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), the operators.
The applicants made the call in Abuja, Thursday, saying, the activities of the board undermined the objectives of the government to provide decent housing for the citizens, especially public servants.
They accused workers of the board of manipulating the process for self-aggrand-isement at the expense of genuine applicants.
The applicants said, while those who genuinely met the conditions for accessing the loan were dropped, late applicants who bribed officials and their collaborators benefitted.
An applicant and employee of an agency of the Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr Ugochukwu Livinus, said, he applied in 2010 and was assigned file number HB40109.
Livinus, told The Tide that he got approval for five million naira to build a three bedroom bungalow in April, 2013 after which he was asked to pay N65, 000 as insurance for mortgage and accidental expenses.
He said, he made the payment to the board’s Central Pay Office while the approval letter was signed by the Executive Secretary of FGSHLB at the time.
He said, besides paying the N65, 000 he also committed his hard-earned money as poor civil servant to do a building plan and bill of quantity.
Livinus noted that, he did all this because of his belief in the system but since April 11, 2013, he had not received any further communication while those who applied later had been given their money.
He alleged that some officials of the FGSHLB, in collaboration with some private developers, were doing everything possible to frustrate civil servants from accessing the loan.
Livinus alleged that, some applicants, who agreed to work with private developers and officials of the board, received approvals and disbursement of funds to them soon after they applied.
Another applicant, who preferred not to be named, said, her application was approved in 2012 but she had yet to receive her money after fulfilling all the conditions.
The lady said, she has four years to retire from service but had no house.
She said that, her greatest challenge was that officials of the board claimed that original land documents which she submitted to the board were missing.
“For heaven’s sake, they should give me my land documents since it is obvious that I may not get the four million naira that was approved for me.’’
She urged relevant authorities to investigate the board, saying that, the fraud in the board was alarming.
Mrs Simbiat Adeleke and Mrs Bola Ajamgbadi also applicants, called on the government to probe the board’s activities.
She queried the board’s claim of lack of funds as the reason for non-payment of beneficiaries’ approved loans.
“How can the board claim no money as the reason for non-payment while it is recovering loans directly from the beneficiaries’ salaries?
“ This is supposed to be a revolving loan and the board got a substantial amount from past administrations.
“The board needs to render an account on how it disbursed the initial money it received and how much it has so far recovered in order to convince anybody that it lacks the funds to continue paying approved loans.
“Moreso, why should it continue to approve loans if it has no money to pay?
‘’Truly, something is wrong about the board’s activities which the government should move in quickly and uncover.’’
Meanwhile a director in one of the government parastatals, who pleaded anonymity, called for an urgent scrutiny of the board’s activities.
The director said that deduction of the second tranche of the loan approved for him in 2011 was already ongoing while he had not received the loan.
“Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has started deducting the second instalment more than a year ago and all I hear from the board is no money, be patient.
“I believe the board does not have an efficient way of tracking repayments otherwise, they should be able to know when one’s payment is due and pay accordingly,’’ he said.
He urged the Federal Government to overhaul and probe the activities of the board, adding that the place was fraught with irregularities.
All efforts by our source to clear issues that the applicants raised with Dr Hannatu Fika, the Executive Secretary of FGSHLB, were said to have failed.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

3 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

3 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.