By Teddy Nwanunobi
Abuja (Sundiata Post) — The duo of the Kaduna State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Wednesday, rejected the outright sales of government quarters by the Kaduna State Government to the highest bidders.
The two councils made reference to a paid advert in a national daily, which says that the quarters would be sold out to the highest bidders.
Both bodies made known their rejection in a statement jointly signed by theKaduna State Council NLC Chairman, Adamu Ango; and his TUC counterpart, Shehu Mohammed.
“The entire workers of Kaduna State Government were taken aback by a paid advert in the Daily Trust Newspapers, Vol. 42 No 1 of Monday 27th February, 2017, relating to the sales of government quarters in the State to the political office holders disguised in the name of highest bidders.
“The decision of the Kaduna State Executive Council was without recourse to all relevant stakeholders in the State, especially the workers of Kaduna State, who are the creators of wealth and the legal occupants of these properties.
“It is rather, very unfortunate that the civil servants, working for the State government and that are currently occupying these quarters, were never given option of first refusal before the extension of offer to the general public.
“Another area of concern to the public servants of the State, who receives peanut as salaries and wages when compare with those of the political office holders of the State, was the mode of payments for these quarters after being sold to the individual buyers.
“That is, payment of 25 percent of purchase price (including 10 percent non-refundable deposit), must be made to the Kaduna State Government within 90 days of being declared winner. Balance of 75 percent must be paid by all purchasers within an additional 90 days, thus, all purchasers must effect full payment within 180 days of contract.
“From the above condition, tell me which Civil Servant of the state can afford this payment. This condition, in the first instance, is contrary to the provision of the Federal Government Mortgage Bank arrangement of issuing loans to the civil servants from all over the federation.
“We make haste to advice that the Kaduna State Government should borrow a leaf from the Federal Government, which in its monetisation programme gave workers, who are the legal occupants of government houses, an unconditional right/option of first refusal, this is more so that the Federal Government policy was midwife by the selfsame Mallam Nasiru El-Rufa’i,” it read.
