The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • FCTA needs N200bn to resettle natives

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) requires about N200 billion to compensate and resettle villages within the 250 square kilometres of  the Federal Capital City.

    The Minister of  the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed revealed this while receiving the participants of the National Defence College, Course 23, 2014 that came on a study tour.

    Mohammed, who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr John Chukwu, said the administration has been innovative in tackling the infrastructural challenges in the territory.

    He emphasised that the ever-dwindling funds for infrastructural development made the FCT Administration   introduce the Abuja Land Swap policy to improve infrastructure as well as reduce the housing deficit in the Federal Capital Territory.

    Mohammed noted that in 1976 when the Federal Capital Territory was created, the government required only about N2 billion to resettle the natives although the value of N2 billion then was much.

    He reiterated that the cost of resettlement of the natives increased as a result of the increase in population of the natives.

    According to him, the population of the natives then was manageable than what obtains today as the families keep on growing.

    The minister remarked that with the introduction of the Land Swap policy, the FCT Administration is simultaneously opening up 10 new districts and proffering solution to issues of resettlement and compensation that hitherto had become knotty.

    He revealed that the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan has positively impacted on the development of the entire 8,000 square kilometres of the Federal Capital Territory by changing its landscape for good.

    The leader of delegation and Director, Curriculum Programme Development of the National Defence College, Commodore Aliyu Baba Lawal, appreciated the warm reception accorded the participants.

    Commodore Lawal called for continued collaboration between the FCT Administration and the National Defence College; stressing that the administration has, for a long time, been partnering with the college.

     

     

     

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    In 1976 when the Federal Capital Territory was created, the government required only about N2 billion to resettle the natives although the value of  N2 billion then was much…The cost of resettlement of the natives increased as a result of the increase in population of the natives.

  • Youths urge council on development

    The Rubochi Youth Association (RUYA) in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has called on the authorities of  the council and the FCT Administration to provide infrastructural facilities for residents of the community.

    In a communiqué jointly signed by the union’s President, Comrade Iyakwo Joseph, Secretary, Comrade Abdullahi  Galadima and Publicity Secretary, Comrade, Ayaje John Bako at the end of the union’s first economic summit held at the community, the youth urged the council to provide potable water, electricity and good road network to link Rubochi-Gombe with neighbouring Gadabuke town.

    They also urged the FCT Administration to intensify efforts in rehabilitating the Kuje-Gwagwalada and Abaji-Rubochi roads, saying it would go a long way in attracting the attention of merchants that will patronise traders at the Rubochi Market, thereby boosting economic activities as well as revenue generation for the council.

    The communiqué also said the council authorities should encourage local farmers to engage in more productive farming activities through the provision of modern farm inputs and implements such as improved seedlings, fertiliser, tractors, harvesters and storage facilities. These will improve food production.

    “The authorities of  Kuje Area Council, under the leadership of  Mr. Shaban Ishaku Tete, should, as matter of urgency, save the neglected Rubochi development secretariat from total collapse by renovating it. Consequently, some departments of the council could relocate to the secretariat for easy of accommodation,” the communiqué said.

    The youth stressed the need for the council chief to designate some days to personally attend to official matters at Rubochi, an action, they said, would enhance administrative activities in the secretariat.

    The union therefore, pledged to collaborate with the council authorities in providing banking services at Rubochi, especially micro-finance bank that would encourage economic activities, even as they assured businessmen and residents of safety of their resources.

    “RUYA is also assuring businessmen and women that it would collaborate with palace chief of Rubochi and government of Kuje Area Council to ensure that all resolutions reached are implemented,” they added.

    In another development, The Chairman of  Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon.Shaban Tete has expressed determination to partner with the National Film and Video Censors Board, in order to eliminate uncensored and unapproved videos from the FCT markets.

    Tete made this commitment when members of executive of the National Film and Video Censors Board visited him in his office to express their gratitude to the council chief for the office space allocated to them.

    According to Tete, for the board to choose Kuje as site for their office was a welcome development, saying the leadership of the council will collaborate with the board in order to sanitise the movie industry. He noted that uncensored immoral movies seen in the markets currently are not capable of teaching good morals to the young ones.

    “We will do what it takes to support your board, so that you will succeed in your endeavour. Our hands are on deck, because we need to control the types of movies that our children watch at home that could negatively affect their behaviours.

    “So, anywhere the council needs to encourage your board, we will do so. Our doors are open to support you so that the movie industry would be properly sanitised,” he said.

    Earlier, Mrs. Patricia Bala, Director-General, National Film and Video Censors Board who expressed gratitude to the chairman for giving them the office space, said the board needed to collaborate with the leadership of the council after setting up the office, to make their fight against uncensored movies successful.

    “We hope to set up a committee with the council and we want the council to nominate a desk office which we would be liaising with to the council. We really need to set up the committee to start working, because we need to sanitise the industry. As it is now, our staff strength cannot cover the whole country.

    “We really need the collaboration of the council, since there are a lot of uncensored movies in the market. We alone cannot cover everything, which is why we need to work with the council. We will be happy if the committee is set up, so that we can kick off immediately. There are too many unwholesome movies in the market and if they are not approved, they will be thrown out,” she said.

  • Jonathan, Sambo and the 2015 ticket

    With all the organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declaring President Goodluck Jonathan the sole Presidential candidate of  the party for the 2015 general elections, the decision to pick his running mate is said to be the exclusive right of  the President.

    The sole candidacy declared for Jonathan was said to only cover him and not his Vice, Namadi Sambo.

    For this reason, many politicians interested in the number two job have continued to make clandestine moves to lobby for the post.

    Many of them are believed to be scheming to take charge in 2019 when Jonathan’s tenure will elapse should he get another term in 2015.

    Some of them have begun testing the waters with posters flooding Abuja and many parts of the country showing them as probable running mates to President Jonathan.

    A case in point is the poster showing the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu as the running mate to Jonathan, which took over Abuja streets as soon as Jonathan was declared sole candidate of  the party a forthnight ago.

    Muazu has not disowned or disassociated himself  from the posters, a week after they flooded Abuja.

    If he has nothing to do with it, political watchers expect Muazu to announce to the public that the posters were the handiwork of his detractors. This was yet to be done as at Thursday last week.

    Another allegation has it that Jigawa State Governor; Sule Lamido shelved his Presidential ambition to settle for the number two job under the party.

    But what is being thrown up against Sambo, who many believed has been very loyal and instrumental to all the achievements recorded by Jonathan in the past four years, was the allegation that he has a diminished political value and may not be able to deliver the North for Jonathan in 2015.

    Sambo’s loyalty was said to have facilitated smooth running of the administration unlike the ugly experiences recorded in the past.

    As Jonathan is expected to publicly accept the sole candidacy and announce his running-mate in the next few weeks, political watchers are keenly eager to see if Jonathan will place Sambo’s loyalty above every other consideration, or if he will pick other politicians scheming and strategising to take control of the leadership in 2019.

     

  • Residents cry out over bad road

    Residents cry out over bad road

    Residents of  Zuba in Gwagwalada Council have cried out to the council authorities to come to fix the ‘water logged’ road along Zuba Park area. The bad state of  the road, they said, has made vehicular movement difficult.

    Some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent said due to lack of drainage in the area and the potholes on the road, it has always been over flooded, especially during rainy days.

    Narrating her ordeal on the road, a traveller, Aisha Zuba, stated that she was on a commercial motor cycle going to the park to board a vehicle to Kano and she and the motor cyclist fell into the dirty water because of  the bad road.

    “He fell on top of  his bike and I fell too. I thank God that nothing happened to both of us, only little bruises. The most annoying thing was that my bag fell into a pool of mud. My clothes were soaked. I had to cancel the journey. Seriously, something needs to be done about the road,” she said.

    One of the traders at the International Market, Zuba, Igwe Emeka said the road was getting worse by the day. He called on the council authorities to fill the potholes as it will make movement easier.

    Another resident, Chikodili Nze said the maintenance of  the road will enhance the development of the market thereby generating revenue for the government.

    “Wherever there is a market, it is necessary that the road leading to it should be motorable. We bring in a lot of goods to the market in trucks. It is always a busy road. But since the road is bad, there is always traffic jam,” she said.

  • Community faults minister on demolition

    Community faults minister on demolition

    Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have faulted the decision of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, to the effect that his administration would no longer demolish houses in the territory without proper alternatives.

    The leader of Dagbalo community in Apo District, Rev. Danjuma Dara, who spoke on behalf of natives of Dagbalo, told reporters in Abuja that the decision of the FCT Administration was coming too late after his people had been driven out forcibly from their ancestral homes.

    Recalling that on July 30, last year, the FCDA officials, accompanied by armed soldiers conveyed in two pick-up vans stormed his community and demolished their houses, destroyed their farms and economic trees within five days.

    “The case was reported to Apo Divisional Police Station and we also filed a case at Jabi High Court. We are hoping to see justice prevail because we do not have any other home and our children are growing up fast.

    “Two years ago, a 22-year-old lady was shot and killed by the FCDA Police in Akpajenya Village when a wealthy woman came with allocation paper and accompanied by armed soldiers, claiming ownership of the land in total disregard of the original inhabitants of the community.

    “Since the vast land now known as FCT was taken over by the Federal Government in 1976, those indigenous to the FCT have literally been under constant intimidation and harassment by government officials and private land grabbers who use the military and police personnel to dispossess them of farmlands and homesteads with neither compensation nor resettlement,” he said.

    He said they wrote several letters to the FCDA, as they wanted to have a dialogue with them, but they refused, adding that they are no longer begging to see them. He also said they demand that he must see the people or he will not be comfortable with their next action.

    “We want to advise the government to stay away from our lands and our ancestral homes, because we do not have anywhere to go. We have made enough sacrifice for this country and the minister seems not to be aware of it. He will always pay us back by sending armed soldiers to bring down our houses.  Enough is enough. The government has pushed us to the wall.

    “That we are peace-loving people does not mean that we do not know our rights,” he said.

  • APC floors PDP at tribunal

    The Election Petition Tribunal sitting at Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has upheld the election of the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Abubakar Giri of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 16, 2013, council election.

    In a unanimous judgment, the Chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Binta Mohammed, said the chairmanship election held on March 16, 2013, was conducted in a substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended.

    According to her, the election conducted across the 10 wards of  Gwagwalada Area Council where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 11, 323 votes and All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 11, 525 votes was in order.

    “In view of the foregoing, the petitioners failed to substantiate their claims. This petition, therefore, lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” she said.

    The Chairmanship candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muspha, had filed a petition, through his counsel, Chief Karina Tunya (SAN) before the tribunal challenging the declaration of Giri as the duly elected chairman of Gwagwalada council by INEC.

    The PDP had contended that the election conducted at Kofar-Gida and at Giri Kpeseli polling units of Gwako Ward was not in compliance to the Electoral Act as contained in the INEC guideline and election manual for 2011and alleged gross irregularities.

    But counsel to the respondent, Chief Ologun Orisha (SAN) represented by Barrister Samuel Zhibiri, described the judgment as a sound and well-researched one, adding that the judgment was very articulate and apt.

    However, counsel to the PDP, Chief Karina Tunya (SAN), disagreed with the judgment of the tribunal, saying the tribunal had failed to properly evaluate and analyse all evidences tendered before it.

    “Documents that are supposed to be rejected were admitted. So, we will definitely appeal the tribunal’s judgment,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the chairman of the council, Alhaji Giri, who spoke with reporters after the judgment, said the judgment has proved that he truly won the March 16, 2013, chairmanship election of the council. He was accompanied by his predecessor, Alhaji Zakari Angulu-Dobi, FCT APC Chairman, Alhaji Usman Abdulmalik; Secretary of the council and Alhaji Usman Yahaya.

    He said: “My victory at the tribunal was not only for me, but also for the entire residents of the council. I call on members of the PDP in the council to join hands with my administration to move the council forward.”

  • …. President breaks a jinx

    President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday last week, broke a jinx in the Presidential Villa by granting interview to selected members of the State

    House correspondents in his office.

    It has never happened before in the Villa during his tenure.

    The President had, most times, spoken through official statements issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, or spoke his mind on issues at official functions, and sometimes grant interviews at the airports or outside the country on official assignment.

    The President has also periodically granted interviews during Presidential Media Chats with mainly media practitioners from outside the Villa.

    But granting interviews to State House correspondents who cover the Villa within the State House, has almost become a taboo over the years.

    Tuesday last week, he spoke directly with State House correspondents, appealing to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and other unions to shelve its planned strike action and resume school on September 22.

    Closing the wide gap between the President and journalists covering the Villa is a step in the right direction as it will both improve better coverage of the Villa and boost enlightenment of Nigerians on the administration’s actions.

    A former Military President in Nigeria was said to have been close to journalists in the Villa during his tenure so much so that he knew almost all of them by their names and media houses.

    The U.S President, Barrack Obama and many world leaders also regularly brief and interact with journalists attached to their government houses.

  • Council promises more drainage

    Gwagwalada Area Council has promised to construct more drainage systems in most riverside areas in order to reduce the effect of flooding.

    The chairman of the council, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin-Giri, revealed this when he visited Unguwan Dodo and Kutunku communities which were affected by flood.

    Recall that flood submerged homes and shops in some parts of Gwagwalada, leaving some of the residents helpless and homeless.

    Victims of the flood, who regretted they had lost many of their properties to the incident, had called the council’s administration to assist them.

    Giri, during the visit to the victims, warned residents against building structures along the waterways, adding that building houses along the waterways obstruct free flow of water, which he said could spell doom for them.

    “The council will facilitate the construction of drainage in those places that need them. That will help channel the flood to the right place.

    The residents have a part to play. They should not deliberately build along waterways. They should also avoid blocking drainage systems,” he said.

    While sympathising with the victims, the chairman who blamed them for contributing to the flood incident urged them to vacate places that were prone to flooding, even as many of the victims said they experienced the same incident last year.

  • Council destroys shanties at Jabi Motor Park

    Council destroys shanties at Jabi Motor Park

    The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has demolished illegal structures at the popular Jabi Motor Park. The demolition exercise aimed at preparing the park for upgrading.

    Tagged: Pin down Operation, the exercise was supervised by the officers of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), environmental health officers, the police, Navy and officials of AMAC.

    AMAC’s Head of Environmental Department, Hajiya Mamuma Abubakar, who led the team, said “the demolition exercise became necessary because the area was originally meant to be a motor park but building materials, scavengers, mechanics and other illegal activities have turned it to something else.”

    According to Abubakar, the AMAC authority believes that the purpose for which Jabi Park was built is not being realised. That was why the council felt that it was necessary for it to demolish the shanties, saying that the council is ready to upgrade the park to a standard motor park.

    While assuring that the demolition of shanties would continue in other motor parks across the area council, Abubakar also said those whose shanties were demolished were adequately informed.

    “For the past two months, we have served them notice to quit; we created a lot of awareness and the necessity for them to move out of this place because the park has been overtaken by all manner of people, thereby making the purpose for which the park was established unrealisable.

    “The chairman of AMAC has also invited them to his office for a meeting which we held with them during which the chairman properly briefed them.

    “Again, before you tell somebody to park out, you must have provided an alternative. A place has been provided for them in Waro to enable them to carry out their operations but they refused,” she said.

    One of the victims of the demolition exercise, Muhammed Idris, told our correspondent that AMAC had notified them of the exercise, even as he complained that most of them lost their working tools in the exercise.

  • Water: A community’s huge challenge

    Water: A community’s huge challenge

    Sabon-Gurufata community is in Ibwa Ward in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Its greatest challenge is lack of clean water as the only source of water supply in the community is a polluted stream. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports that there may be an outbreak of cholera if potable water is not provided for the residents. 

    Gabon-Gurufata is a community where nothing works. It lacks almost everything, including water which is one of the basic necessities of life. It is 15 kilometers away from Gwagwalada town. Members of the community settled in Gwagwalada after migrating from Suleja in Niger State in 1945.

    A visit by our correspondent revealed that they have been suffering from complete neglect from successive administrations. Politicians know they exist only when they want to get their votes during elections. They make promises of how they (politicians) will improve the people’s living conditions. But immediately they are voted into office, all promises are forgotten.

    Water boreholes, rural electrification, primary healthcare centres and other basic social amenities to make lives comfortable for the people living in rural communities are lacking as they are not provided as promised by politicians.

    It is obvious that the people are currently at the mercy of an impending outbreak of cholera because of absence of potable water supply in the community. As a result, the people resorted to sourcing water from a dirty stream for survival.

    It was gathered that members of the community are not happy probably because the council chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin-Giri, has not provided them with any meaningful community project since his assumption of office.

    Chief Haruna Tatobwa, the Chief of Sabon-Gurufata explained that members of the community are going through serious challenges due to the absence of basic social amenities in the community.

    “Our major problem here is potable water supply. We do not have a single borehole in this community. As a result, we lack clean and hygienic water to drink and cook. If I take you inside my house now to show you the water we fetched and stored for domestic use, you will not use it to wash your hands, because of how dirty it is.

    “That is the reason I am very happy that my people have registered for the community-based health insurance scheme. The water we are using in this community is a disease; diseases come from bad water, disease such as cholera and others. When they did not register, we were suffering. We believe that government will come and help us.

    “We have had several cases of outbreak of cholera in this village. Last year, about five children died of cholera disease in this community. Also, six pregnant women lost their lives when they went to the health centre in the other community. They started bleeding and died instantly,” he said.

    According to Tatobwa, potable water and primary healthcare centre are the major needs of his people, even as he regretted that having existed for a very long time in the community, they have not benefited anything from the council, saying that the only thing they had benefit from was the borehole which Senator Phillip Aduda constructed for them and which is completely malfunctioned.

    “I would like the council chairman, Alhaji Jibrin-Giri to assist us with primary healthcare centre and potable water supply. The only road to this community from Gwagwalada town is very bad. During rainy season, you will not be able to go through the road. We are truly suffering here,” he said.

    Mr. Aliyu Jeremiah, the Secretary of the Chief of Sabon-Gurufata also revealed that the only primary healthcare centre in Old Gurufata community, which is the closest healthcare centre to the community, has no medical doctor to take care of patients in the communities. The situation has made life so difficult for the people.

    “We lack everything in this community; we have never benefited anything from the government.  We do not have any borehole in this community; this made us to depend on water from the stream for domestic use. The most painful thing is that the stream is a stagnant one and it is very dirty. We have no choice than to manage it that way.

    “The stream water has caused cholera and other sicknesses to natives of this community, and some people have died through it. In the aspect of electricity, that is a no go area, because since there is no access road to this community, why should we expect electricity?

    “We do not have any government project in this community and I feel very bad to see that we are neglected by the government which we pay tax to.

    “Whenever there is election, they will come here to campaign and solicit for our votes. After voting for them, the elected chairman and councillors will regard this place as too far for them to come and fulfill their electoral promises made to us.

    “Every eligible voter in this community has his or her voter’s card and they all go out to vote during elections. Whenever a chairmanship and councillorship candidate comes here to campaign, they will promise to give us electricity, potable water, health centre and other things that we lack.

    “But, since they continued to make these promises for a very long time, nothing has been provided for members of this community. We do not know how it is to enjoy the dividends of democracy. We have written endless letters to former council chairmen without positive response.

    “We have also written to this present chairman, Alhaji Jibrin-Giri and he said by the grace of God, he will come and sink borehole in the community. But we are yet to see any borehole since then.

    “The truth is that we are not happy with the way we are treated by successive administrations of this council. We voted for them and we expect that we should also get the benefits of democracy as other communities receive. There is nothing like dividends of democracy or government’s presence in the community. It is not right. The present leadership of Gwagwalada Area Council should come to our aid and save us from persistent suffering,” he said.

    The people look on to the Gwagwalada Area Council to lessen their pain by providing them with some basic amenities to make their lives comfortable.