The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has fulfilled the promise he made during the commissioning of mortgage bank building to provide houses to ten lucky widows in the civil service of the state.
Speaking while handing over the keys of the houses to the beneficiaries at the regional office of mortgage bank in Umuahia, Ikpeazu congratulated the lucky winners for becoming proud owners of their houses.
He said that the ten Abia civil servants who have benefitted from the first phase of the mortgage housing programme he introduced should ensure that the houses are put to maximum use.
He noted that the beneficiaries were selected from 10 local government areas of the state, adding that they emerged randomly after a lucky dip.
The governor announced that the exercise will be conducted again in December this year while 10 civil servants each will emerge every two months, throughout next year.
He commended the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Eme Okoro and the Head of Service of the state, Dr Vivian Umah, for the transparent manner they conducted the exercise and charged civil servants in the state to work hard and pray for the government to do more.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Okoro said the gesture is in fulfillment of the governor’s promise to civil servants, especially widows in the service during the commissioning of the bank in August.
He said it is a scheme designed to alleviate the burden of indigents but hard working widows in the state, stressing that it will make them to think less of their widowhood condition.
Earlier in his speech the Managing Director of the mortgage bank, Emmanuel Mbaka, said the houses, which cost N6m each, is a way of making housing available for Abians.