Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service (HOS) of the Federation, said a total of 5,635 civil servants would benefit from the first phase of the Federal Government Housing Scheme.

Mr Mohammed Manga, Assistant Director, Media Relations in the Office of the HOS in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the HOS made this known when she led federal permanent secretaries to the housing fare holding in her office.

Manga said the scheme was to address the housing challenges in the country.

The statement said Oyo-Ita urged civil servants to take advantage of the N13 billion Federal Civil Servants Mortgage Loan Refinancing Scheme recently launched by the Federal Government.

She said the housing scheme was one of the initiatives of President Muhammadu Buhari to put smiles in the faces of Federal Civil Servants to enhance efficient service delivery.

Oyo-Ita said the scheme was being executed in collaboration with the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme and the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company Plc (NMIC).

“The government has in recognition of the importance of housing earmarked N40 billion in the 2016 budget for the implementation of a comprehensive housing scheme.

“The Federal Civil Service workforce play an important role in nurturing and developing our nation.

“So, it is only fair that those who serve the country can be afforded the opportunity to own their houses,” the statement quoted Oyo-Ita as saying.

Meanwhile, Mrs Ayetunde Adesugba, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, has said that the housing scheme for workers is an assurance from the present administration that change has come to stay.

She, therefore, urged workers to reciprocate the good intention of the present administration by ensuring effective and efficient service delivery. (NAN)

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