Otu launches 1, 000-unit ‘People-First’ housing scheme for civil servants

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has flagged off the construction of a 1, 000-unit housing scheme for civil servants in Ikot Efio-Okon Edem, Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state.

The project, named the ‘People-First Housing Scheme’, is the first phase of a broader programme to be extended to the central and northern senatorial districts.

Otu, represented by deputy governor, Dr. Peter Odey, said the scheme would provide affordable homeownership and post-retirement security for public servants.

The governor stated that the initiative showed his administration’s commitment to civil servants, whom he described as the engine room of government.

“Civil servants carry the responsibility of translating policies into action and sustaining governance. It is only right that we create interventions that guarantee their comfort, stability and long-term security,” he said.

Otu described the scheme as both a continuation and an expansion of the 600-unit CROSPIL Estate built under Senator Liyel Imoke’s administration.

He pledged that the project would be executed with transparency, speed and accountability.

Head of Service, Mr Orok Bassey Okon, said the scheme was designed to address the difficulty salaried workers face in acquiring land and housing.

“His Excellency approved a sustainable model that will enable public servants to own homes,” he said.