Aiyedatiwa injects N500m into Ondo workers’ car, housing loan schemes

By Boye Oyeyemi

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved an additional N500 million seed fund for the state’s car and housing loan schemes for public servants, alongside upward reviews of the loan ceilings and Duty Tour Allowance.

The approvals, announced on Friday by the Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya, are part of measures by the administration to improve workers’ welfare amid rising inflation and the increasing cost of goods and services.

Odusanya said the Governor approved the reviews after recognising that the existing rates for the welfare schemes had been eroded by prevailing economic realities.

He disclosed that the car and housing loan schemes had not been reviewed since 2013, noting that the existing ceilings could no longer adequately meet the needs of beneficiaries.

According to the HOS, the rising cost of housing construction and motor vehicles had significantly reduced the purchasing power of the existing loan ceilings.

He said the upward review was intended to restore the effectiveness of the schemes and make them more beneficial to workers in the state public service.

Odusanya added that the Duty Tour Allowance payable to workers undertaking official assignments within and outside the state, as well as abroad, had also been increased.

The HOS further commended Aiyedatiwa for prioritising workers’ welfare, saying the measures would boost staff morale and strengthen their commitment to implementing the administration’s programmes and development agenda.