Workers applaud 50 percent discount on houses

Kanem Trust reports that Gaidam had, while inaugurating a committee that will supervise the construction of 256 new houses in Damaturu, directed the ministry of housing to reduce the cost of the over 2000 houses sold to workers between 2006 and now by 50 percent in order to remove the burden of many years of […]

Kanem Trust reports that Gaidam had, while inaugurating a committee that will supervise the construction of 256 new houses in Damaturu, directed the ministry of housing to reduce the cost of the over 2000 houses sold to workers between 2006 and now by 50 percent in order to remove the burden of many years of salary deductions for the payment of the houses.

“The action of the governor is psychologically appealing. I have been paying for my three bedroom flat since the last eight years and the expectation is that I will continue paying till the end of 2013, but the action of the governor has made me a proud owner of a house now because I have paid more than half”, Malam Musa Ali, one of the beneficiaries said.

The houses, whose prices ranges from N400,000 and N1.4 million but now discounted by 50 percent  include those at the Zanna Zakariyya, Nyanya, Dan Etiebet, Buhari and Olusegun Obasanjo estates all in Damaturu. Gaidam said civil servants that have already paid up to 50% should stop further payments while those that paid more than the 50% would be paid back their balances.

“I am one of those that will get a refund, I think I would get almost N300,000 from the government and I will use the money to marry out my daughter who has got a suitor long ago”, Muhammad Inusa, another civil servant said.

Head of Service, Malam Ibrahim Abdurrahman said civil servants were really elated by the step taken by the governor and promised that workers would reciprocate by working “tirelessly with zeal and commitment for the development of Yobe”.

According to Governor Gaidam, “Housing has been universally acknowledged as the second most important human need after food and water. I believe it is because of this that successive administrations have invested substantial amount of resources in the development of residential quarters for all categories of workers and individuals.

“Our administration has also established that psychological satisfaction to be derived from a decent functional house is relevant to the efficiency and productivity of our citizens, workers inclusive”, he added.