Akwa Savings Restates Commitment To Quality Housing Services

The management of Akwa Ibom Savings and Loans Limited has reiterated its commitment to provide efficient financial and quality housing services to every class of persons in the country. The managing director, Mr Effiong Akwa, stated this at the bank's corporate headquarters, Oron Road, Uyo, during a visit by the permanent secretary and officials of the Bureau of Labour, productivity and Public Service Matters visited the bank as part of the ongoing assessment tour of governments parastatals, commissions, boards, agencies and institutions. Okon said they were committed to the development and delivery of affordable homes through the creation and sustenance of value added services to the satisfaction of their stakeholders. The managing director commended the permanent secretary on the innovation, maintaining that it was a fundamental way of moving organizations forward, adding that it takes a pragmatic and an astute leader to carry out the tour and appealed that the visit be carried out regularly. The bank's boss stated that the bank was established in 1990 and was the only surviving state-owned mortgage bank at the moment. He stated that it has four other branches at Eket, Oron, Abak and Ikot Ekpene, a new branch at Abak Road and cash centre at the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Mkpat Enin, with 124 staff. Akwa hinted that though owned by the state government, their operation were not fully controlled by the government but by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He maintained that they were into on-line banking at the head office and its various branches, adding that they have strong support from the government and ministries being the only state-owned financial institution. The managing director stated that their management staff were sent outside the country for training while the branch managers are sent to the Business School in Lagos regularly, adding that a cordial relationship exists between the managements and staff. He maintained that their corporate responsibilities include training of industrial attachees, sponsorship of scrabble competition and purchase of billboards and street guide. Akwa listed the bank's challenges to include inadequate capital base, lack of financing by the government, recapitalization by CBN to mortgage banks and low patronage from some ministries. Others are lack of long-term funding to embark on mega estates and other projects, poor staff remuneration, single ownership structure, poor technological skills on the part of staff and lack of mortgage assets in prime cities in the country. The permanent secretary, Mrs Mary Ewa, stated that the visit was to assess, monitor and evaluate the institution's productivity, service delivery, challenges and the way forward, thereafter present their report to the appropriate authorities for attention. Ewa stated that the bureau was also interested in productivity and public service matters aside labour issues, maintaining that since the government invests a lot of money on these organizations, it was expected that their productivity equates the investment. The permanent secretary commended the bank's management on its new look and the siting of four other branches at Eket, Abak, Oron and Ikot Ekpene, adding that with a young, pragmatic and active management team, they would achieve the best in all of their endeavours. She maintained that with the conducive working environment for management and staff, high level of productivity would be guaranteed, assuring them of a positive response from the government. Welcoming the permanent secretary and her team were the bank's secretary and legal adviser, Obong Nya Nya; deputy managing director, Mr Godwin Ekpo; Mr Sam Udombang, finance and accounts; Mr Brian Okon, engineering, Mr Godwin Udoh, internal audit and Mr Udosen, operations manager.