The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has urged the newly inaugurated management of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to revive the over 2000 abandoned housing projects across the country.
Inaugurating the the new seven member board on Thursday, in Abuja, the minister charged them to bring their various wealth of experiences to bare in order to reposition the FCMB.
Fashola told the new board members that it was a huge privilege for them to be among the few Nigerians who were enrolled in the public service.
“Out of hundreds of millions of people but you are among the few to be selected even as there are many more who are better than you but you are chosen. So, this is not an opportunity for selfishness but an opportunity to help others.
“And, my advice is that we are not in our homes, we are not in public space but we are people in the public service and we have to work inside a team in order to achieve this aims.
“Those people that we will work with may not speak like us, dress like us and neither eat what we eat but they are part of us and if will manage our ego, we will realize that these are not different from us. So we have a lot to learn from each other and share with each other.
“You help us to solve some of the problems that have to do with access to housing and I want to appeal to you do not become a problem but solve a problem.
“In addition to all your responsibilities, I expect you to quickly revive the position of over 2000 housing units at various level of completion under the of federal housing scheme.
“This was started in administrations before us but it is yet to be completed,” Fashola said.
He assured the new management of the support from the ministry, adding that he would not hesitate to recommend to Mr President to remove any nominee who fell short of a target.
Fashola told the new board that their four-year term was not guaranteed but subject to performance.
The minister further said that a team would be sent to check the level of completion of the houses and the report would be shared with the board.
The newly inaugurated 7-man management board of the FMBN, led by Mr Hamman Madu assured the minister that the management would ensure an effective, efficient and qualitative operation in the next four years as they assume duty.
Madu the Managing Director/ Chief Executive, FMBN thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, for appointing them into the exalted position of Nigeria’s apex Mortgage Institution.
“We are humble and excited to be chosen and to undertake the responsibility.
“Housing is one of the basic human needs and to access housing finance is a critical ingredient in achieving the housing needs of all Nigerians,” he said.
He promised on behalf of the Executive Management Team and Board to work harmoniously to reposition the Bank to deliver on its core mandate and meet any emerging challenges.