By Tunde Sholanke
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) Good Home Subscribers Association on Wednesday stormed the street where the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) live to protest delay in resolution of failed housing scheme between the civil servants who subscribed for the land and Good Homes Development Company Limited.
The association also took the protests to the headquarters of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the leadership of which it said even though they are supposed to be at the forefront of the fight for the workers has chosen to keep the matter in abeyance for reasons best known to them.
At the headquarters of NLC the protest almost turned to a free for all as the President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, accused the Chairman of the association of leading thugs to his office in the name of protest.
Chief Anunah, the chairman of the association said issue has lingered for 10 years, stressing that the workers are frustrated after committing close to N1billion to the scheme.
He told journalists that the protesters were forced to go to the Minister’s street after all efforts to engage him through letters and other means of engagements failed.
According to him,they are frustrated because if Federal Government has given the land, and subscribers has paid their money and the Good Homes, which is the vehicles for delivery of the scheme is no longer fit for purpose what stops the government from revoking the land.
He added that the workers invested because Federal Government said come and invest in the scheme, stressing that they did not negotiate with Good Homes.
He stated that at the time when NLC, TUC and the Federal Government ought to step in and protest the rights of the workers they appear to abandoned them and kept the issue in abeyance.
He added:”We are here to demonstrate regarding the NLC, TUC Subscribers Association. This land was given by the federal government in Apo, we have committed close to N1 billion, ten years now, no land, no home and no refunds and then we try to engage the Minister. The Minister has refused to do anything . For the past two years when he set up a Committee.
“That committee we have finished with it and the Minister gave the Permanent Secretary three months, this was two years ago, to complete the conflict resolution mechanism with the developers. And I was a witness to it. Since then, we have not heard anything despite all our efforts to make sure that the needful is done. Nothing has happened”
He stated that the association demands revocation of that land and reallocation to the original subscribers who are members of NLC, TUC Good Home Subscribers Association.
He added:”Our demand is simple, revocation of that land and reallocation to the original subscribers.This is the first housing scheme that federal government came up to support now it has become a scam” he lamented.
