By Deborah Nnamdi
The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB) has announced the commencement of compiling a list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on fully repaying their housing loans.
This was revealed in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja by the Board’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Ngozi Obiechina.
Obiechina cited the Board’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Salamatu Ahmed, who explained that the initiative aims to recover mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to fulfill their loan repayment obligations.
According to Ahmed, the decision aligns with a recent memo from Mrs. Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office, under the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. The memo emphasized the compulsory requirement for civil servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness from the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society before retirement.
She further stated that the Board will pursue legal action to reclaim properties where necessary, in accordance with the loan agreements.
Ahmed added that this action complies with the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), as issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
”I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.”
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, ” she added.
