"Access to affordable housing can curb corruption '

Corrupt practices and inefficiencies in the treatment of government transactions can be greatly reduced by easy access to affordable housing by employees in the public service.

Executive Secretary, Federal Government staff housing loans Board, Dr. Hannatu Fika, made the comment during a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of Nigeria mortgage refinance company (NMRC), Mr. Harjit Singh be Ayere, in Abuja.

NMRC was launched in January of this year by President Goodluck Jonathan to stimulate mortgage financing in Nigeria for housing delivery and home ownership schemes, as well as the removal of all obstacles to a sustainable and dynamic of housing.

Fika also noted that without the proper motivation of civil servants to drive the policy and programs of the Government, private organizations will also be disabled. She said her Board of Directors strives to supply 1,000 homes from the Government targeted 10,000 units this year for civil servants, if given the opportunity.

She said the template of the Board of Directors is risk free and the repayment option for the takers and the mortgagers easy is made. "The new mortgage refinance will serve as a vehicle to materialize the dream of the transformation agenda because it affects the housing sector especially for civil servants," she insists.

In his reply, be Ayere described the visit of the Federal Government staff housing loans Board was timely, especially with the new impulse for the effective housing creation by the Government. He spoke however booking on the current three percent interest will be charged by the Board of Directors, say that it is not market-driven.

Be Ayere advised that with the high demand for housing loans by officials of the Board of Directors, the better to look at a market driven, viable and sustainable option will be. He called for the Board of Directors partner with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the savings of public servants through the national housing resources (NHS) tap into and enjoy a weighted interest rate for one digit that will adequate resources for employees.