Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM), has called on the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), to reduce prices of houses built for civil servants in Nigeria, for affordability.

Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli, the National Coordinator of SERVICOM, made the call when she led the SERVICOM team to make a formal presentation of SERVICOM Compliance Evaluation Reports (SCER) on FMBN to its Managing Director on Monday in Abuja.

The SCER assessment exercise was carried out in 17 branches of FMBN across the country.

The report that the overall objective of SCER is to ensure that citizens focus on service delivery in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

This includes the identification of gaps in service delivery and making recommendations to MDAs to improve customer satisfaction and accountability.

While giving an account of SCER on FMBN, Akajemeli commended FMBN on its statutory mandates to satisfy Nigerians in areas of regular sensitization and enlightenment programmes on Channels TV twice a week.

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She said the initiative had gone a long way to enlighten customers and address key issues concerning National Housing Fund (NHF)

“FMBN management has made it easy for customers to obtain up-to-date information on NHF and other facilities. These are published in the Bank’s Bulletin and website,’’ she said.

According to her, the FMBN Oyo branch is the first branch to bring in the informal sector in the country, adding that quite a large number of cooperative societies have been mobilized, enlightened to help provide housing units for more Nigerians.

“Application for refund was found to be processed timely as confirmed by retirees; it takes between two to three weeks, thereby making customer service experience a delightful one,’’ she said.

The SERVICOM boss, however, noted that the prices for houses built were high and called for ways to bring them within the reach of the targeted customers who are largely low-income earners.

“In the course of our SCER exercise, more than 60 percent of the respondents complained that houses built are very expensive and beyond the reach of the low-income group,’’ she said.

Akajemeli also pointed out some of the lapses in the FMBN’s services to include selling forms that are supposed to be free forms to customers at the rate of N25, 000 in Adamawa and N7, 000 in Bauchi State.

She, therefore, appealed to FMBN management to address those lapses so as to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of services rendered to their customers.

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Responding, Mr. Ahmed Dangiwa, Managing Director FMBN, commended the SERVICOM management team for its works.

While clarifying some of the evaluation reports, Dangiwa pledged to address some of the weaknesses pointed out by the SERVICOM.