FMBN pledges commitment to refund of NHF, contributors decry delay

The Branch Manager, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) in Kwara, has said that it has paid 360 out of 410 contributors cleared for refund of the National Housing Fund in the state in May.

In an interview with our correspondents in Ilorin on Wednesday, Muhammed said, “What we have left to clear for the month is not up to 50 applications.

“And we clear 15 to 20 retirees per day, depending on the availability of network.

”What we do is that by the last week of every month, we stop receiving applications so that we don’t have carry over till the following month.

”So, here, our retirees get paid as at when due,” he said.

The branch manager however noted that any delay that arises from payment may be due to late submission of schedule of payment by the organisation of the applicant for it to be uploaded together with the application.

”Another issue that arises is that some organisations do not submit BVN and NIN of their staff tagging it confidential.

“Also, some applicants do not have up-to-date remittance from their organisations or up to the time they retire.

”So, from our end, we do what is expected of us. But we do not pay here, the payment comes from the CBN,” he said.

Also, the acting branch manager, FMBN, Abeokuta, Ogun, Mrs Mobolaji Ehinmowo, said that from March 2024 to date, over 1,200 federal retirees had received refunds of their contributions to the NHF.

She said that all retirees are paid by FMBN Headquarters in Abuja.

However, a retiree from the Federal Science school idi-Aba Abeokuta, Mr Soji Kuye told NAN that since his retirement in 2022, he was yet to receive refund of his contributions from the bank.

In Ibadan, an official said that digitalization of the bank’s system has helped reduce delays in processing refunds to contributors.

The official, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymion Tuesday in Ibadan, said that retirees now get their refunds within a short time.

The source said that hitherto civil servants after disengagement from service wait over two to three months to get refund of their NHF.

The official stated that when the digitization project is completed, it would facilitate interconnectivity and provide a single dashboard where data and schedule of all the states of the federation, including FCT would be for easy administration and disbursement.

“It is even faster now that it is online. If we sign it today, before Monday the person will receive the funds.

“We don’t delay. As we are doing it the retirees are getting their refunds because it is transfer.

“It is unlike before, when retirees bring their documents courier has to be called.

“It will then take two days to get to Abuja and then further process would follow,” the source said.

However, Mr John Ogundoro, a retiree from one of the Federal agencies in the state, decried the delay in the payment of refund of his contributory NHF in spite of his retirement in 2024.

Ogundoro said that he was still awaiting payment over one year after retirement.

According to him, all the processes required to be perfected at the Federal Mortgage Bank’s office had been completed a month after retirement, but was still yet to be refunded.

“All they keep telling me and other retirees is that they will get back to us in no distance time.

“It is over one year now they have been assuring us, but nothing comes out of the promises.

“We plead with the Federal Government to do something about it so that we can have our money back,” Ogundoro said.

Similarly, Mrs Eunice Ajibola, a retiree, decried delay in the refund of the contributory housing fund, saying the development has negatively affected her efforts towards the completion of a three-bedroom flat she was building.

Ajibola said her expectation was to collect the fund at the latest six months after retirement.

“But 15 months after retirement, I”m still waiting for th Federal Morgage bank to pay me,” she said.

According to her, staff of the Mortgage bank kept assuring me that the money would be paid once FG releases fund.

She appealed to the Federal Government to release funds for the payment, saying “retirees shouldn’t be treated like beggers.”

Our correspondents reports that efforts to speak with the Manager, FMBN, Ibadan Branch, proved futile because no authorisation was given to her by the management of bank to by speak to the media