Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has observed that with current reforms in at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the state branch of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), should convince its members key into the bank’s housing scheme.
He made the assertion while receiving management of the bank at the Government House on Monday, lamenting that because the bank lacked realistic policies in the 1990’s, the NLC became convinced to pull out from its housing scheme at the time.
Dr. Ganduje noted that since the bank has improved it policies and is ready for the business, the state government would partner with it to ensure that the state, which has the highest population in the country, benefits from the scheme more than any other state in Nigeria.
The governor assured that present administration would facilitate the scheme in Kano as well as to provide land for the mortgage bank to build houses for workers, pointing out that in some advanced countries, as soon as a worker is employed, government plans for him to own a house easily ahead of retirement.
He, therefore, thanked the management of the bank for making efforts to revisit its partnership with the state government, assuring that the government would fully participate to ensure workers benefit.
Earlier, managing director of the bank, Malam Gimba Ya’u Kumo told the governor that they were in the state to appeal to labour unions to return to the scheme, revealing that the bank policies are now reformed to serve the participants better.
Alhaji Kumo disclosed that at the moment, there are some funds owned by Kano state workers with the bank, revealing that some civil servants who have not withdrawn from the scheme are now entitled to own houses under the Federal Mortgage Bank scheme or be able to obtain soft loans for renovation their houses.
Meanwhile, Dr Ganduje has called on Kano Qur’anic Competition (Musabaqa) Committee to initiate modern ways of conducting the exercise. The governor, who gave the advice when members of the committee, led by Alhaji Habibu Gwarzo paid him a courtesy call at Kano Government House, assured that present administration would double its support to the committee.
