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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Against the backdrop of the fire that reportedly claimed over N500 million property of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) headquarters in Abuja at the weekend, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engineer Muttaqa Rabe Darma, today, said that no critical record or customer information was lost in the fire.
The minister made the denial during an inspection of the affected section of the bank’s headquarters, where he received briefing from the bank’s management and technical personnel on the incident.
He noted that the fire was contained within a section of the second floor of the building and disclosed that preliminary findings suggest it was caused by an electrical fault. However, investigations by relevant experts were still ongoing.
in a statement, Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Badamasi Haiba, said that the minister, emphasised that anyone found to have been negligent in the discharge of his duties, following the conclusion of ongoing investigations, would be held accountable.
He commended FMBN’s successful digital transformation, noting that the bank’s cloud-based data backup system had safeguarded critical records and ensured uninterrupted access to customer information and operational documents despite the incident.
”I’m convinced by the management that nothing is really lost, except the physical structure of the building,” he said, adding, “I came to the computer room and they showed me the records saved on the cloud.”
Darma assured Nigerians that the bank was fully operational.
“They have actually digitised their entire system, and the fire consumed only the paperwork that was there. I assure Nigerians that they should continue to patronise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria” he said.
Darma further reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding access to affordable housing across the country, noting that ongoing reforms at FMBN would strengthen mortgage delivery and support the achievement of the current administration’s housing objectives.
”I assure Nigerians that the 100,000 housing units the president promised in four years will come to pass, and we will tell every single person exactly where those housing units are” the minister assured.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had directed FMBN to strengthen its internal processes and institutional framework to enhance mortgage delivery and improve operational efficiency.
”As part of the policy reformulation of the bank, we have asked FMBN to look into its internal arrangements and improve mortgage access to about 2,000 mortgages in a year,” he stated.
FMBN remains fully operational and continues to provide uninterrupted services to contributors, mortgage customers and other stakeholders while working closely with relevant authorities on the ongoing investigation into the incident, the minister said.
Recall that early morning fire gutted a section of FMBN headquarters, at the weekend, claiming over N500 million worth of property.
