The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday staged a peaceful protest over alleged illegal sale of Workers’ Housing Estate to civil servants working outside the state and politicians by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.
The leadership of both unions also petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government over the alleged fraud and called on the government to address the issue.
The union leaders staged a walkout from the inauguration of the housing estates project, located at Ugwuachara in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
Addressing reporters before the inauguration of the estate, the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor, who spoke on behalf of both unions, urged Governor David Umahi to boycott the inauguration until the sale of the estate to non-workers is reversed.
Reacting, the Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank PLC, Mr. Kingsley Chukwuma, denied the allegation.
He said the estate at Ugwucahara was allocated to people that were qualified and had completed payment.
“The allegation is not actually true, because our intention was to carry everybody along. This is because workers from all the states of the federation are the direct beneficiaries of the project,” he said.