Reps probe NHF, bank over non-refund of contributions

The House of Representatives on Tuesday mandated its committee on Housing and Habitat to investigate the unnecessary delays and non-refund of retirees’ contributions to the National Housing Fund by both the Federal Mortgage Bank and the National Housing Fund, NHF.

The House also mandated the committee to investigate the activities of the Federal Mortgage Bank and the National Housing Fund with respect to contributions and remittances from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

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This followed the adoption of a motion on the “need to investigate the non-refund of contributions to beneficiaries by the National Housing Fund (NHF), moved at plenary by Hon. Eta Mbora.

Mbora noted that the NHF was established to mobilise funds to facilitate the provision of affordable housing for Nigerian workers who are required to contribute 2.5 per cent of their monthly salaries to the Fund.

He was concerned that some Ministries, Departments and Agencies do not remit deductions from contributors’ salaries to managers of the fund as stipulated by the Act.

He said it was worrisome that retirees who applied to the Federal Mortgage Bank and the National Housing Fund to be refunded have not been attended to in the last three years, resulting in endless delays of refund and non-payment of their refund.