N1.3bn Abuja’s health workers house

Not many believe it could be possible for the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) to put a magnificent edifice in the Federal Capital Territory. But with the commissioning of over N1.3 billion National Secretariat in Abuja after painstaking efforts, MHWUN has redefined unionism, as it has shown that it is not only […]

Not many believe it could be possible for the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) to put a magnificent edifice in the Federal Capital Territory.
But with the commissioning of over N1.3 billion National Secretariat in Abuja after painstaking efforts, MHWUN has redefined unionism, as it has shown that it is not only ‘solidarity forever’ they are capable of  but also good financial managers culminated in infrastructure development for the union.
The MHWUN building, located at Cadastral Zone,  Durumi area of the FCT, was initiated in 2013 by the then President of the union, Comrade Ayuba Waba and completed before  he was elected the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The edifice, christened Waba house, is a muilti-purpose three storey building comprises of a hotel, office space and shops. It also serves as the union secretariat.
Daily Trust learnt that the edifice, which is the second built by a union in Abuja, was completed without taking loan from commercial banks, as it was funded from the check-off dues of its members.
The ground floor contained about over 15 shopping centers and malls for rent, two conference halls of about 150 sitting capacity and 500 sitting capacity respectively.
The second floor serve as the national secretariat of MHWUN and office accommodation while the third floor is a hotel of over 32 rooms for lodging and accommodation.
The building also has a spacious car park , standby generator and two elevators to conveying workers and guests to the building .
Apart from the Nigeria Labour Congress which has its secretariat located in Central Business District, MHWUN is the second union to have built a secretariat in the FCT.
Speaking to Daily Trust on the building, MHWUN President, Comrade Biobemoye Joy Josiah, said the edifice, initiated and built by his predecessor, Comrade Ayuba Waba, who is now the NLC president, is a pride to health workers.
“The building is a multi-purpose building. The basement and first floor has halls and shops for rentable, two conference halls, the second floor is the secretariat while the third while the last floor is a hotel. The build was erected at the cost of over N1.3 billion,” he said.
According to him, the idea behind the construction of the multi-purpose building was changing the way union business is done by not relying on union check-off dues, adding that it was a way of diversifying the union sources of income and make the union self-reliance by not relying on dues from the government to the union.
“It takes a committed fund manager to get it right. The credit goes to my predecessor who sacrifices to this level because he inherited a union that was over N42 million in debts. The union could not pay salary and pension to workers but he turned things round. Before this edifice, Comrade Ayuba built two hotels in Area 11 and Life camp area of Abuja for the union,” he said.
He said during the building construction fund appropriated for the project was not diverted and that loan was neither taken from the banks nor members levied to complete the project, it did not bankrupt the union.
He called on other union to emulate the medical health worker because in reality there are union in term of check-off  dues earing are richer the MHWUN but Ayuba was able to manage the union’s dues well.
“The building will benefit the union immensely because of the rent from it. The conducive working environment will add to worker productivity and whoever that is coming to do business with us will have confidence in the union. It is a great public relations edifice and a revenue earner for the union.  The hotel, the halls for hiring would bring revenue for us. The design is that with time the structure would be self-servicing  in terms of running the utility and other things because funds that would be generated from the building can be used to take care of other cost.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole who recently commissioned the  building, said the commissioning is a clear indication that union leader leaders are also better manager of fund.
He urged the leadership of the medical union not to allow any money realized from the multi-purpose complex to go into private pockets but to be used for the benefit of the whole union.
A staff of the organization, Johnbull Izibili, who commented on the building, said the edifice has redefine unionism in the country and a sign of better things to come to the union and the secretariat workers.