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Pix: A section of the market
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday indefinitely closed Olajumoke Akinjide Plaza Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja, for alleged illegalities in the market.
Mr. Ihkaro Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the FCT on Supervision, Inspection and Enforcement, who led the operation, lamented the rate of alleged violations including the incriminated dumping of rubbish in the market.
” We ordered the indefinite closure of Olajumoke Akinjide Plaza Dutse-Alhaji due to the extreme contraventions that we have noticed a couple of weeks ago.
“It is a very offensive garbage that is not collected correctly, so much attachment in several corners, the drains do not distil, the drains were like dumpsters.
“We had to close it as instructed by the Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, pending the environmental challenges in the market, illegal attachment and garbage collection to be addressed.
“And the next time we come here and we are convinced that they have done what is necessary, we will reopen it.”
“But they assured us that they want to start the work now and it will be done quickly and we will come to check for reopening, but for now the market is closed indefinitely,” he said.
The minister's assistant, however, praised the traders in the main Dutse-Alhaji market for cleaning up the market.
"You can see the merchants in the Dutse-Alhaji main market arriving in numbers to clean their shops and the environment in preparation for the reopening of the market on Tuesday," he said.
For his part, the Secretary of the FCTA Command and Control Center, Mr. Peter Olumuji, denounced the increase in the crime rate in the market.
“In addition to the environmental problems that we notice in the market, the crime rate is gradually increasing, structures are being built in which criminal elements can stay and hide.
And some of them even sleep in these makeshift attachments.
“Store owners have been complaining about theft, part of what we're doing is removing all those hidden places and attachments,” he said.
Meanwhile, a store owner who did not want his name used accused the market's management and executive of selling the illegal spaces to small merchants and charging them money.
But Chigozie, a shop owner in the main Dutse-Alhaji market, praised the FCTA for the cleanup, but appealed to the administration to provide an alternative space for small shopkeepers.
edited
Source Credit: NAN
The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has commended the leadership of the FCTA over the provision of standard facilities in its hospitals. The committee described the facilities in its hospitals as of high standard and indeed, the best in the country. The Committee’s Chairman, Sen. Smart Adeyemi, stated this while carrying out an oversight function on the projects being implemented by the FCT in Abuja. Adeyemi, who was visibly excited over the level and standard of implementation of projects in the FCT hospitals, pledged the support of the National Assembly to the Administration in its quest to provide state- of- the- art facilities across its hospitals for the benefit of the teeming population. He said that Abuja was a city for all Nigerians and the city managers must be prepared to expand its social facilities to accommodate all willing to live and do legitimate businesses in the territory. The lawmaker also requested for the establishment of a new hospital at Nyanya to decongest the only government owned hospital in the area. He, therefore, urged the FCT Administration to consider the interest of the masses in all its programmes and promised to make budgetary provision for healthcare services an utmost priority. Conducting the Committee round the projects, the Permanent Secretary, FCT, Olusade Adesola, who represented the Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, said the Administration had plans to build and install modern facilities such as MRI, X-Ray machines, and Radiology equipment in Asokoro hospital. Adesola revealed during the tour that plans were on top gear for the establishment of Model Schools across the FCT and upgrading of facilities at Government Science Secondary School, Pyakassa, Maitama-Abuja. The permanent secretary lamented that the influx of people into the FCT was over-stretching the social facilities and infrastructure provided by the government and urged the National Assembly to ensure adequate budgetary provision for their expansion. While appealing to the National Assembly to support the efforts of the Administration in providing critical infrastructure for the well-being of the residents, Adesola said it would always make judicious use of resources provided to it by the National Assembly. The projects visited included Senior Government Secondary School, Junior Secondary School I; Junior Secondary School II, and LEA Primary School all in Nyanya; Nyanya General Hospital, Asokoro District Hospital, and Government Science Secondary School Pyakassa, Maitama-Abuja. The Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Borno, Secretary of Education Secretariat, Sani El-Katuzu, Directors and other top officials of the FCT Administration were on the entourage. NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, has disbursed N215 million to 5,054 beneficiaries of the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) in the nation’s capital.
Aliyu, while disbursing the funds, explained that the figure was made up of 3,650 beneficiaries of Social Transfer scheme, and 1,404 beneficiaries of Livelihoods grant.
She said that the social transfer would run for 12 months of six cycles, adding that all the beneficiaries would be receiving stipends of N20, 000.00 bimonthly payments.
Aliyu also said that beneficiaries under the livelihood Grants programme would receive between N50, 000.00 to N135, 000.00, one-off payment, depending on the business category.
The minister said that the programme was part of the Economic Sustainability Plan of the present administration.
“The programme is anchored under the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) scheme.
It is designed to expand access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants to poor and vulnerable households and firms.
“It also seeks to promote recovery of Medium Scales Enterprises (MSEs) in the country and revive the economy, especially in the rural areas, where more than 70 per cent of our population dwells.
’’
Aliyu further said that beyond the NG-CARES initiatives, the FCT Administration in the course of the year implemented other support programmes to residents of the territory.
According to her, they include the FADAMA CARES, CSDP CARES and the AEA CARES at different times and locations.
She described the event as a promise kept and mission accomplished by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Aliyu recalled that at the inception of the present administration, the party released a blue-print for lifting 100 million people from poverty through comprehensive policies of Conditional Cash Transfer, and Home Grown School Feeding.
She listed the other programmes as the N-Power schemes, Government Economic and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Trader Moni, Market Moni and a host of others.
According to her, the programmes have impacted positively on the lives of the ordinary citizens and have surprised the nay-sayers, as testimonies of the huge successes achieved in the implementation of these programmes abound.
Presenting an overview of the programme, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria led to the closure of many MSEs, loss of jobs, stalled provision of basic services in poor communities.
“It has thereby, increased the population of Nigerians living below the poverty line.
“The programmes are in response to the hardship perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also in line with the vision of the Federal Government to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
“The government of Nigeria, on behalf of the 36 states and the FCT, sought and obtained assistance from the World Bank to the tune of 750 million dollars for on-lending to the states and FCT.
“To implement a two-year emergency response programme, named the “Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).
’’
He said that the NG-CARES programme seeks to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the livelihoods of poor individuals, farmers, vulnerable households, communities and owners of Micro and Small Enterprises.
He said that in the FCT, the programme has been domesticated and code named FCT-CARES.
Adesola said that the administration had achieved major milestones which include orientation of new staff, training of soft skills for beneficiaries of livelihoods grant, and procurement of payment service provider.
Others he said were enrolment training for Cash Transfer Facilitators (CTFs), Data Capturing of beneficiaries, and training of beneficiaries on Livelihood activities.
He thanked the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, and the Minister of State, Aliyu for not resting on their oars in order to see to the successful implementation of the NG-CARES programme in the FCT.
The permanent secretary also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for sustaining implementation of the Social Safety Net Programme for the benefit of the poor.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the highpoint of the event was the symbolic presentation of cheque to some of the beneficiaries.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) In-state team, as part of measures to enhance access to quality drugs in Abuja and its environs.
Mr Samuel Musa, the Media Officer, Health and Human Service Secretariat, FCTA, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
He said that the DRF In-state team was inaugurated after a two-week intensive training of its members.
Musa also stated that the FCTA had recently inaugurated the Sustainable Health Supply System steering committee.
The media officer said that the team’s mandate was to ensure the effective working of the drug revolving fund.
He said that the inauguration of the DRF In-state team was supported by the United State Agency for International Development (USAID).
”It is also being supported by the Global Health Supply Chain-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) programme,” he said.
Musa said that a thorough assessment of the health facilities in the territory had been conducted to ascertain the level of readiness to implement the revitalised DRF scheme.
”In the new order, district drug distribution centres will be built to increase access and availability of quality medicines in the territory.
”So the team has the duty to monitor drug distribution, supervise and evaluate all the DRF activities in the territory,” he said.
He said that the FCTA was committed to the success of the DRF scheme in the interest of public health.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday in Abuja distributed 60 operational vehicles to security agencies, as part of efforts to combat security threats in the territory.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the vehicles were distributed to the Police Force, military and paramilitary organisations.
Others are the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, said at the presentation that the intervention was to help improve the capacity of security agencies in the FCT to optimally discharge their duties.
Bello, who enjoined the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judicioUsly, disclosed that each of the vehicles was backed by a three-year maintenance contract.
He reiterated that the FCT remained safe, adding that the administration had confidence in the ability of security agencies to provide adequate security to the territory.
The minister, therefore, pledged FCTA’s continuous support to the security agencies in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“What we are doing today is to showcase the FCTA’s contribution to the Federal Government’s efforts.
“It is our expectation that these vehicles and other security equipments will be put to effective use.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has put in place several measures to confront current security challenges and to contain the threats posed by criminals in all forms and guises.
“Through the efforts of our security agencies, many potentially devastating criminal acts have been prevented.
“In fact, I make bold to say that for every crime committed, several others were nipped in the bud,” Bello said.
The minister enjoined residents to support the efforts of government and security agencies to secure the territory.
“Residents also have roles to play in this collective fight against crime and criminality by promptly reporting to the relevant security agencies any suspicious individual or situation.
“It is only by doing this, that the fight against crime can truly be won,” he said.
Bello disclosed that the FCTA Security Council had approved the disbursement of N500 million to the six Area Councils for the commencement of community policing.
Also speaking, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, noted that the procurement of the 60 operational vehicles, fitted with communication gadgets, would enhance the security architecture of the territory.
“This modest effort by the FCT Administration is also in line with Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“Therefore, the FCT Administration places priority on the safety and security of lives and property,” she added.
On his part, the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Usman, assured that the police and other benefiting agencies would ensure judicious use of the vehicles.
Usman, represented by Kayode Egbetokun, the AIG in Charge of Zone 7, thanked the FCT Administration for its usual support to the security agencies.
Also, the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Sen. Smart Adeyemi, observed that the prevailing security challenges in the nation’s capital had overshadowed the laudable infrastructural provisions in the territory.
Adeyemi, however, lauded the FCTA for the provision of workable operational vehicles to boost security of lives and property in the territory.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Wednesday in Abuja reclaimed part of the Nigeria Law School’s land taken over by proponents of illegal activities in Bwari Area Council.
Mr Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring,
Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, explained that the administration also removed shanties with a view to improving security and restoring sanity on the route.
He said the exercise was one of the measures adopted by the administration to curb insecurity across the territory and would not be limited to one area.
The FCT Minister’s aide explained that strategic stakeholders in the nation’s capital have asked the sanitation team not to leave any structure that was constituting threats to security of lives and properties on the Bwari road stretch.
Attah also stated that key security heads in the territory had insisted that the Bwari area must be made safe and free from all evil acts.
According to him, ”the demolition exercise was going to be a comprehensive one, starting from Bwari Law school, near Kuchiku-Bwari down to Bwari main market.
”
Attah said the exercise affected only shanties on the road corridor, and not houses.
He said: “Pulling down of the illegal structures here in Bwari is part of our measures to curb insecurity across the territory.
“This area along the law school stretches down to Bwari market, all the attachments and shanties on the road corridor must go.
”Some people in Bwari may see it as a lawless place because for long there is no major clean up.
“It is not only the Law school area but is going to be a comprehensive clean up.
”
On his part, the Secretary FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, said the operation was a means of sustaining the security measures already put in place by police and the FCT Administration.
He explained that prior to the removal of the shanties, the areas were used as criminals’ hideouts.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Tuesday evicted illegal food vendors, mechanics, fuel hawkers and petty traders on the rail and road corridors in Area 11 Garki, near the presidential villa, Abuja.
Mr Kaka Bello, the Assistant Director, Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), who led the operation, said the FCTA has zero tolerance for environmental nuisances in the nation’s capital.
Bello, who advised residents to have a healthy attitude towards the environment, noted that if all residents ensured discipline and do what was right, Abuja would remain a clean city.
” As you can see this area falls within the Asokoro District and it is bordering the residents of the number one citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
” And as such this illegality that is happening here will not be allowed to continue.
You can see a lot of sundry nuisances from food vendors, illegal petroleum sellers popularly known as black markers, and illegal mechanics occupying this road corridors.
“This has led to the spillover of their illegal activities on the R.
B. Dikko Road off Lord Lugard street.
This is unacceptable and that is why the Director of AEPB, Mr Osilama Braimah, gave us a matching order to come and ensure that we sanitise this place.
”
Bello promised that the board and other agencies of the FCTA saddled with the responsibility of city management would sustain operation in the area on a daily basis.
“We will ensure that this place is sanitised.
The enforcement will continue on daily basis.
As you can see the operation is been carried out by different agencies such as the FCT Directorate of Traffic Road Services (VIO), FCT Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation, NDLEA and the rest.
”
He appealed to illegal food vendors, mechanics and illegal petrol sellers to desist from engaging in illegal activities.
”There are legitimate platforms in the territory were such businesses could be carried out without going against the law,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, explained that the place being occupied by the illegal vendors and mechanics was a green area given as a temporary food court.
Attah said that the administration would fence the area, adding that those who have temporary allocation to run a green area, parks and open spaces would take charge.
This, according to him, will be done in accordance with the provisions of the Parks and Recreation Department conditions.
“This is what we will do to ensure that people manage the rail and the road corridors pending when we have full construction and when the place is fully use for road and rail all this things will disappear.
” For now, this is an eyesore.
It is really very bad and sad to see fuel black markers, food vendors, scavenger’s, hawkers and all manner of people using this place.
” This doesn’t paint the city in a very good light considering the fact that it is at the very heart of the city,” Attah said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola, has called on media professionals to continue to project the image of the administration and the Federal Government positively.
Adesola made the call when a delegation of the FCTA Press Corps paid him a courtesy call and presented him with an Award of Administrative Excellence, on Monday in Abuja.
The permanent secretary, who reaffirmed the FCTA’s commitment to the delivery of effective services to all residents of the FCT, appreciated the media for its professionalism in keeping the administration on its toes.
Adesola assured that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, and FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, would continue to work hard to provide basic amenities such as education, healthy environment, sound economy and good transportation.
He said that the Administration would continue to work in synergy with the media in all its programmes.
Earlier, the Chairman of the FCT Minister’s Press Corps, Malam Hudu Yakubu, who presented the award on behalf of his corps, extolled the administrative acumen of the permanent secretary.
According to Yakubu, his financial discipline as the chief accounting officer of the FCTA has combined profitably well with that of the two ministers of the administration.
This, according to him, ensures the prudent use of human and financial resources of the administration.
Yakubu, while assuring of continued collaboration from the media, urged the permanent secretary not to relent in his open and friendly disposition to the public, especially the members of the media.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the delegation was accompanied by Mr Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement and Special Assistant on Media to FCT Minister of State, Mr Austin Elemue.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has urged journalists to abide by the principles of fairness, accuracy and balance in the coverage of political campaigns and activities for the 2023 elections.
Mohammed made the call at the 2022 Annual Media Retreat organised by the Federal Capital Territory Minister’s Press Corps, on Friday in Bauchi.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the theme of the retreat was: “The Role of Residents, the Media and FCT Administration in holding Area Council Chairmen Accountable to Service Provision and Infrastructure Delivery”.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Malam Muktar Gidado, the governor also enjoined media practitioners to eschew mischief, inflammatory reports and fake stories.
Mohammed said the call became necessary for the sustenance of the country’s nascent democracy and political stability.
He added that media practitioners in Bauchi State have enjoyed unalloyed support from the state government that has been giving them the needed advantage to operate seamlessly.
Mohammed said: ” And as you are getting set to cover the 2023 elections, you must ensure that the principles of fairness, accuracy and balance in the coverage of political campaigns and activities are observed.
” You should also shun biased reporting of events and remain steadfast in the discharge of your duties.
”
Mohammed also said that his administration had besides building a cordial relationship with the media, also made giant strides in community development.
According to him, ”with the resources available to the state, critical projects had been successfully executed in key sectors of the economy.
” We have executed projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the generality of the people of the state.
” We have constructed network of roads in both urban and rural areas to facilitate socio-economic activities across the state.
” Schools and health facilities had been constructed, renovated, provided with the necessary equipment and furniture, while water supply schemes in the state capital and local governments headquarters had been executed.
” We have also provided fertilizer and other agricultural inputs and machinery to our teeming farmers.
”The State Secretariat and Secretariats of all the 20 Local Governments had been totally renovated to provide conducive working environment for our workers,” Mohammed said.
Earlier, the Mandate Secretary, FCTA Area Council Services Secretariat (ACSS), Ibrahim Dantsoho, underscored the importance of an effective participatory of the media practitioners and other citizenry in the democratic process, especially at the grassroots level.
Dantsoho, who said that the media play complementary roles in governance, spoke of the need for journalists not to relent in discharging their constitutional roles as the third eye of the society.
Represented by Director, Chieftaincy Matters, Malam
Awwal Dogon-Daji, the secretary said, “democracy requires that people should have the right to know the activities of government, especially the decision of government that
affects their life, liberty and property.
“Information is important for people to make choices regarding their participation in the state.
”Sufficient information helps people to decide rationally and take the right course of action beneficial to them.
“Citizens and civil society engagement to demand and promote good governance can improve by and large the viability of good governance and anti corruption programme.
”This is because the success of democracy is impossible without participation of the people”
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, urged media professionals to always be aware of the enormous power they possess and use it for the good of the society.
He, however, decried the poor participation in the democratic process by the citizens, resulting in the low demand for accountability.
Also, the Chairman, FCT Minister’s Press Corps, Malam Hudu Yakubu, called on media practitioners to beam more searchlights on the activities of all levels of government, especially the local councils.
” Every tier of government has a responsibility of protecting and improving the lives of citizens and in this case, we are focusing on the 3rd tier of government, which is the local government, called Area Councils in the FCT.
”
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Malam Muhammad Bello, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says 26 districts will benefit from the Greater Abuja Water Supply project when completed.
He said this while defending the FCT’s 2022 Statutory Appropriation Bill before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister said that the project was a bilateral initiative to enhance water supply in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“Its implementation will extend the supply of potable water to about 26 districts in phases II and III covering Gwarinpa 1 and 2, Utako, Dutse, Gudu Kaura, Wuye, Mabushi, Jahi, Kado, Karmo, Galadimawa, Lokogoma, Kabusa, Dape,” he said.
Bello said that the construction of the 14km Mpape-Shere Galuwyi Road was a bold initiative of the administration to ensure successful resettlement of original inhabitants in about 16 communities.
“The resettlement site covers about 900 hectares of land in Bwari Area Council, to resettle the 16 villages namely: Utako, Maje, Mabushi, Jabi Samuel, Jabi Yakubu, Kpaadna, Zhilu, Gishini, Dakibiyu, Gwarimpa, Galadima,” he said.
Bello said that N607,952,023,580 was proposed for the FCT 2022 Statutory Budget comprising Distributable Revenue of N370,215,843,779 and Non-Distributable Revenue of N237,736,179,801.
“When compared with the Revised 2021 Appropriation of the sum of N329, 963, 491, 522, there was an increase of the sum of N277, 988, 532, 058 in the 2022 budget,” he said.
Sen. Rochas Okorocha (APC-Imo) called for enabling laws to develop the Abuja City Centre.
“Because of the issue of insecurity, there is influx of people into Abuja.
In the next five years, we may have serious security problems.
“If you go to satellite towns, there is a growing number of out of school children,” he said.
He said that the N52 billion budget for the education sector in the FCT was inadequate calling for more funding in the sector.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Senate Committee on FCT, Sen. Smart Adeyemi said that the national assembly through its oversight functions would ensure that the beauty and status of FCT as the pride of Nigeria and the world was retained.
He also commended the minister for the number of projects so far executed while assuring FCT residents of the completion of ongoing projects.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
