The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Women: Abuja’s new entrepreneurs

    Women: Abuja’s new entrepreneurs

    The nation’s capital is making a transition from a civil service town to a city of entrepreneurs, thanks to women.  GRACE OBIKE reports

    Time was when all you saw in Abuja was people who worked from Monday to Friday and retired to their apartments at the weekend or travelled out of town. Not anymore. The nation’s capital is fasting shedding its civil service toga and evolving into a city of enterprise.

    But that is just one side of the story. Of greater interest is the fact that women are driving this change.

    The BBC recently reported that 40 per cent of Nigerian women are entrepreneurs, which they say is higher compared to that of the rest of world. In Abuja, women are beginning to change the norm from a city of civil servants and politicians into a city of entrepreneurs, with most of the shops owned by women. Those who cannot afford the exorbitant rates of shops, convert the boots of their cars into shops. What is important is that their business is up and running, and women are in the driving seat.

    It is the norm these days for even the tiniest offices in Abuja to have women visiting regularly to sell various items either on cash and carry basis or on credit.

    Recently, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Coordinator, African Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) Samira Jibir, revealed that FCT female entrepreneurs are increasingly becoming a force to reckon with. She said one of the women making waves in the FCT is a bee farmer whose business has grown to the extent of her exporting her products to the US, Europe and other places.

    Another hugely popular entrepreneur in the FCT is Orya Febronia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ugee Bakery and Confectionaries, makers of the popular Oven Pride bread.

    The owner of the multi-million naira bakery located in Karu explained that being a success-driven female entrepreneur involves more than having sufficient money to start up a business. She said that in order to ensure success in her trade, she travelled abroad for three months to study bakery.

    “After graduation from the university, I wanted to work in in the bank; I got married very early but my husband challenged me to be independent.

    “I didn’t just want to open up a bakery and bake like everyone else, I researched, began sourcing for the machines and went abroad for a three-month course on everything about baking. I was given all the recipes to produce different products; with  that I fell in love with baking.

    “If I see bread, without tasting it, I can tell you what it is made up of. When I came back, it took me three years to put things in order, the starting period was so hectic, I was in the market in Lagos for five years and when my husband moved to Abuja, I moved as well. It was difficult settling for a location but i did not want the City Centre because it is already tight, I decided on a place that will make an impact and will be noticed and appreciated, so i came here, bought the land and constructed  my bakery.

    “ I decided on a different kind of product, we have a lot of health issues these days centered around our way of life, I studied health bread, for instance I decided to put beniseed in my jumbo bread which different from the ingredients found in other breads, because beniseed is very good, so the idea for me is to bake healthy products for my consumers.

    “Apart from the normal bread, I make products that will balance up our health as adults. I am particular about it in my products.

    “I am a believer in the woman’s ability to change her world, I do not see myself as a woman with the strength and passion that I have. I believe that women need to identify what they want and do it right, even if her dream is to be just a wife; women need to understand that men do not want to marry a woman without passion or dreams, what you have upstairs makes you more attractive and not just the beauty.

    “I always tell girls that if they are determined they can make it in whatever they choose to do, I tell them that it is not all about making hair, dressing up and shaking their body when they move, I tell them, people that will stop you on the road will sleep with  you and just walk away but when you start having something real and tangible, the ones that will come after you will not be those on the street.”

    Chief of Karu, Emmanuel Yekwi in whose domain the factory is located, said that it has actually provided a lot of job opportunities for youths in his community.

    He also said, “I like to see young people being innovative, they prove that they can create something for themselves without depending on the government. Young people should be the ones creating innovations in this country. Bakeries in the country have to start reducing the level of sugar in their products, it should be put into consideration to avoid an epidemic in the country.”

    In an interview with The Nation, Samira Jibril explained that entrepreneurs in the suburbs and area councils have better opportunities because it is easier for them to have the location and farms than those in the city.

  • ‘Youths, develop your business skills’

    Youths’ ability to develop their entrepreneurial skills has been described as one of the factors that can reposition them for leadership.

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Limited, Mr. Babagana Dalori who made this known in Abuja while receiving an award from the FCT branch of the Nigerian Youth Council of Nigeria, described a regenerated entrepreneurial drive among youths as a major tool to fight economic recession.

    Dalori urged youths to be willing to take risk as he did when the decided to venture into tricycle business with what he earned during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    While adding that the award would spur into doing more for the youth, he said his decision not to wait for white collar jobs has benefited thousands of young people in the country.

    “I am advising them even before they can graduate from their various tertiary institutions; they should have a plan B in case they did not get any white collar job. They can at least start something with their plan B before they can secure a job,” he said.

    The president of the FCT branch of NYCN, Solomon Imoiveghe said Dalori was honoured as the role model of the Nigeria youth because of his initiative to empowering the youth and taking them from employee to employers.

    He said youths can learn and look up to him as he is an epitome of a silent achiever, who was not born with a silver spoon but has forged a name for himself yet with little no attention.

  • Govt trains 1,500 in civil service

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has in the past three months trained 1,500 staff of various cadres from its Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs).

    FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye disclosed this at the closing ceremony of one of the training sessions at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja.

    Ajakaiye said that the first of the one-week capacity training course was held between 5th and 9th December 2016 and the last session was rounded off at the weekend.

    Ajakiaye revealed that 600 staff were trained in Basic Computer Appreciation skills using Microsoft Office Tools to enhance their productivity, while the remaining 900 were trained on fundamentals of Public Service with focus on Procurement Act, Financial Regulations and Public Service Rules.

    He said that Civil Service remains the key driver of Nigeria’s development, and therefore, the personnel need to be well trained to meet the current global challenges in tune with the Change Agenda of the Federal Government.

    The Permanent Secretary said that in view of the crucial role Civil Service plays in the country’s march towards development, the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing everything possible to ensure rectitude in that sector.

    He said, “The Civil Service is the most important aspect of governance. In fact, Civil Service is the most strategic and essential ingredient as far as Nigeria’s development is concerned. This is why government is doing everything necessary with a view to ensuring that we get it right.”

    The Permanent Secretary charged officers to always adhere strictly to their assignments, in spite of whose ox is being gored; adding that for civil servants who insist on the doing the right thing, they have nothing to fear.

    He urged participants to contribute their quota in their various capacities for the progress of the country; stressing those civil servants should always consider their assignment as service to humanity and not opportunity to amass wealth.

    The Administrator of the Institute Dr. Shehu Misau commended the FCT Administration for giving top priority to building the capacity needs of its officers.

  • ‘Women must fight prejudice, promote equality’

    A non-governmental organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja, has called on women to forge a better working environment that will promote their empowerment and gender-inclusiveness.

    The President of the foundation, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu  made the call in Abuja while speaking to the media as part of activities commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration, stressing the need to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political activities of women.

    While speaking on this year’s theme: “Be Bold for Change”, Mrs. Ahmadu called on women to do everything to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism and promote gender equality, noting that Nigerian women cannot be excluded from this global call.

    Mrs. Ahmadu acknowledged that the task of women empowerment and gender equality should be the responsibility of both government and non-governmental organisations, even as she observed that government should be responsible in the policy formulation of women empowerment scheme.

    “I understand that a key feature of 2017’s International Women’s Day is the call for “a day without women”. That is, for women to take the day off work. While I agree that it would be tremendously effective if we could mobilise every single woman on the street, but my major concern as a very privileged, financially stable woman is for government and stakeholders to initiate policies and programmes that will empower women economically, socially, culturally and politically. It is my candid opinion that economic empowerment breed boldness for change,” she said.

    Mrs. Ahmadu pledged that Helpline Foundation will continue on its empowerment programmes for women in the six. Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, adding that her foundation had at last year empowered over 400 widows on free interest macro-credit loan across the length and breadth of the Territory.

    She said, “From our experience in dealing with these women; we discovered that what they need is support from government in the area of capacity building and available start off packages for them to contribute to the local economy and be self-reliant. Government should put structures in place to help to assist them with finance and equipment that will make the local economy vibrant”.

    She also observed that since the first International Women’s Day was marked, there has been a significant improvement in the lives of women across the globe, in terms of gender equality, education, and increased visibility and recognition in politics.

    It could be recalled that the International Women’s Day (IWD) was originally called International Working Day, is celebrated on March 8, every year to commemorate the struggle for women’s rights.

  • Rare loyalty

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last Friday displayed core loyalty to his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The occasion was the brief ceremony welcoming Buhari back to the country after 50 days medical vacation in the United Kingdom. Buhari had written to the National Assembly naming Osinbajo in line with the 1999 Constitution as Acting President to run the affairs of the country in his absence.

    The 50 days in the saddle as the Acting President was enough time to ignite selfish ideas and moves in the head of any over-ambitious deputy. Such over ambitious Vice Presidents would have been perfecting schemes and moves to become the substantive president. That was the main reason why some past Nigerian leaders, when they wanted to rest or go for medical check-up and treatments, found it difficult to transmit a letter to the National Assembly to pave way for the number two citizen to become Acting President in their absence. They would rather hang onto power while abroad under various guises to receive medical treatment.

    Osinbajo’s loyalty was further put to test while he held sway as the Acting President when some Nigerians began to sing his praises because the naira was appreciating against the dollar and there was increase of daily oil production due to peace in the Niger Delta region.

    Osinbajo didn’t allow all the praises get to his head as he remained focused in steering the ship of state.

    Given the opportunity to speak on Friday, Osinbajo did not only thank Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve in that capacity, but also displayed very rare core loyalty to his boss.

    At the First Lady conference hall venue of the meeting, Osinbajo on behalf of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) welcomed the President back home.

    He said, “We are very grateful to God that you are back home hale and hearty. Mr president, I must say that personally, this has been a very interesting few days for me. First I must say that I want to thank you very much for the confidence reposed in me by handing over the realm of government to me in the capacity of Acting President.

    “I think more important is that you demonstrated the belief in our system which is even more important than anything else.

    “The constitution which we all swore to uphold is important because it outlines the code of conduct. I want to say not only am I, but I am sure the entire nation is grateful to you.

    “For me I must say that it has been an interesting period going around the nation in borrowed robes. I must say I had a very interesting and challenging time but above all, the President gave us the good support,” he stated

    It is only hoped that such relationship between the President and the Vice President will continue even beyond 2019.

     

    Ending corruption in public service

     

    The federal civil service, which is a very crucial group to governance, has been described as a clog in the wheel of progress of the Federal Government over the years.

    It comprises of employees responsible for planning, giving advice and implementing policies in government ministries, departments and agencies.

    The group, which is involved in bills drafting, preparation of annual estimates and budget, keeping government records and properties, is believed to be enmessed in frauds.

    Due to the alleged malpractices in the service over the years, the civil servants in some quarters are referred to as ‘evil servants’.

    Worried by the large scale of frauds in the public service, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay took the public service to the cleaners during the National Dialogue on Corruption at the State House a fortnight ago.

    Under the subtitle of ‘Extreme Recklessness of Public Servants’ in his speech, Sagay said: “The recklessness with which public officers spend public funds is insensitive to the point of insanity.  Yes I mean that.  The level of insensitivity has become pathological.

    “Only a few months ago Nigeria was on fire because members of the National Assembly bought cars costing over thirty million naira each with our money, in order to carry out so called oversight duties, during this period of financial drought and famine.

    “We called them well deserved names, like cruel, inhuman, malevolent, etc.

    “My dear friends, you will not believe that with all we are going through, the NDDC (Niger Delta Development Commission) which is the other name for uncompleted projects, has just bought over 70 cars.

    “Of those about 8 of them are Super Lexus Jeeps costing 78 million naira each and about 10 are Land Cruisers costing 63 million naira each.  This money was taken from funds for infrastructure, water, housing, hospitals, school, etc., without conscience; recklessly without a thought for the wretched people of the Niger Delta.

    “These huge sums where plundered from their allocations, from the Federal Government.  And yet, the Managing Director was ironically reported in the Nation Newspaper of 6th February, 2017, (pp. 1-2) that the NDDC lacks funds to execute projects and was in debt to the tune of 1.2 trillion naira.  Hear this lament.

    “The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, has lamented the N1.2 trillion debt burden facing the new management of the commission.

    “To the MD, the over $40 billion received by the region in the past 10 years was frittered away.

    “He said the NDDC must now find a way around the huge debt owed by the past board while carrying out to free funds for urgent development projects and programmes,” he said.

    “On the fund that has accrued to the commission in the past, he said: “There is little evidence to show for the sums spent,” he added

    While some of those been accused of wrongdoings including the NDDC have faulted Sagay,  it is very important for the government to really take measures to end stealing and fraudulent practices in the public service.

  • Park-and-pay returns

    Park-and-pay returns

    To raise cash and manage increasing traffic, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is introducing a parking scheme that was once outlawed, GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports.

    Illegality was its undoing in its first life. But there is no question that the park-and-pay scheme is back in the nation’s capital.

    The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is finalising the processes leading to the second life of the scheme, amid applause and concerns from stakeholders.

    This became clear when AMAC Legislative Council held a public hearing on the formulation of the Council’s on-street parking by-law in the Abuja municipality, comprising the Federal Capital City (FCC) areas, including the Central Business District, Garki, Wuse II, Maitama, Asokoro and others.

    Speaker, AMAC Legislative Council, Hon. Daniel Shandabwa Michael while addressing the public hearing at the event, recalled that “the park and pay policy erroneously introduced by the FCT Administration in 2012 was licensed to four companies: Automaten Technik Haumann Nigeria, Safe Parking Limited, Integrated Parking Service Limited and Platinum Parking Managerial Services, for revenue collection in the same Abuja municipality.

    The Speaker further alleged that “because of the illegitimacy of the policy, there was a public outcry that culminated [in] a suit filed by Suntrust Savings and Loans Ltd Vs Hon. Minister, Federal Capital Territory” at FCT High Court in April 2014, in which the former came out victorious.

    According to him, the necessity of the moment makes it imperative for the Council to reintroduce the scheme so as to generate revenue for the Area Council, even as he regretted that it was not the intention of AMAC to over-burden residents with too much taxation in a recessed economy.

    Douglas Itiat of AMAC Marshal who also spoke at the event disclosed that AMAC “put on hold on-street parking to allow AMAC legislature enact and pass the bye-law”, adding that its operations would be completely handled by marshals. Itiat revealed that interviews for recruitment of workers for the scheme were being carried out.

    It would be recalled that Hon. Justice Peter O. Affen based the grounds for the proscription of the hitherto FCTA introduced Park and Pay scheme on the absence of an enabling law from the National Assembly, which doubles as the legislative arm of the FCT.

    Prior to this popular judgment which was celebrated by many FCT residents, especially car owners who had bitter tales to tell about the harsh manner of operations by the defunct park and pay companies, many residents called for abolition of the policy. It was a great relief for many when Justice Peter Affen delivered that long-awaited ruling.

    On the side of the government, huge revenue was lost to that ruling, as the park and pay companies generated hundreds of millions of naira for the FCT Administration. This was in addition to the security operators of the companies provided to owners of vehicles at the parking lots.

    However, the real controversy surrounding the reintroduction of the policy rests on the concern over who reserves the right to implement park and pay policy in the FCT since Justice Affen ruling was silent on whose responsibility it was to collect such levies, only relying on illegality of its establishment.

    More so, it is believed that one of the FCT Administration bills pending at the National Assembly is that concerning park and pay policy, which the Administrations still hopes to dust up and reintroduce the policy which generated so much revenue for the government.

    The proposed bye-law comprises two schedules. While the first schedule deals with charges for the on-street parking, schedule two provides for violations and fines.

    Accordingly, while parking up to 30 minutes attract N50 rate, that of  one hour and 11 hours attract N100 and N600, respectively. There are still proposed charges between two to 10 hours with varying rates of levies.

    Under violations with fines, parking without payment and parking beyond paid time attract the same punishment of clampdown and payment of N5000, while failure to abide by the above attracts towing of vehicles with payment of a towing fee of N15,000 and demurrage on the above attracts N2, 000 per day.

     

  • Gbagyi women: we need help

    Gbagyi women: we need help

    Gbagyi women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have demanded for the creation of intervention plans to help in poverty alleviation in their communities.

    The women said that no matter how little, government needs to profile their needs and create plans that will enable Gbagyi women speak out through their skills.

    The Abuja women made the call at a two-day seminar organised to create awareness for the overall wellbeing of the Gbagyi indigenous women of the FCT, in commemoration on the International Women’s Day, tagged, the need to give the Gbagyi indigenous woman a voice.

    Organiser of the event and former vocal beacon for the C25 Century on indegenous people, Della Ileri explained that the idea is to connect the Gbagyi issue with the international instruments that can be used to create policies for them.

    Ileri stated further that the advocacy project which brought about the program was sponsored by the International Indigenous Women Forum (IIWF) after an online three months training and a two weeks training in New York that outline the needs of indigenous people.

    She added, “The government needs to make more provisions, to make need assessment, it’s time to start profiling these women, we can’t keep saying we want to meet their needs without the women expressing themselves on where they are and are coming from.

    “So we can create intervention plans, it must not be huge, it can just be basic intervention plans.

    “Like one of the women we met who said that her father is the only person who know about the making of a particular material, it doesn’t take much to train others so we need to get back into these communities and train them.

    “The women need to speak for themselves so their needs can be profiled and create intervention plans no matter how little, we need to let these women speak with their skills.

    “I grew up in this city and saw how a typical Gbagyi woman is confident and not scared of walking into any neigbourhood to sell her yams and other harvests but these days we hardly see them. These women have a unique lifestyle and skills that they can use to sustain their economy.

    “The government and private individuals need to create intervention plans, we need to start letting these women speak and ask for what they want.

    “The 35% affirmation has not been achieved its time to let these women speak, especially those in the grassroot, because some cultures are being lost like that of training the younger generation to be self-sustaining but not depending on the government especially in the area of craft so that most of the Gbagyi traditional knowledge will not go extinct.

    “Presently there is the fear of their traditional knowledge going extinct and not celebrated, it needs to be sustained and passed unto the next generation over time.

    “When you go into the communities, you will know that the women know what they want.

    “The government can liberate Gbegyi women by building skills acquisition centres for them, promoting their knowledge and giving them enough space to practice their skills and give them more opportunities to education because a lot of the families still prefer training the male children to female, provide them adult education and we can get to the point where we translate basic education in their own language so it can help sustain traditional knowledge.

  • Security: Govt to strengthen transport policy

    The transportation system in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be strengthened in line with the Abuja Master Plan to improve the security of life and property.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, disclosed this while receiving officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), FCT Chapter that paid him a visit in his office.

    Bello said that such policy would be aimed at devising very efficient and scientific ways of operating as well as handling large numbers of commuters.

    He said, “We also have our plans and programmes as to what we want transport management in Abuja to be. Based on the master plan and our focus and for us to be able to cater for the high number of people in Abuja”.

    “We have to really sit down and device very efficient and scientific ways of handling that, starting from the locations where you operate to the road network for your members to function, to the security of commuters and your members as well as the freedom for you to operate without hindrance,” he added.

    Bello reiterated that the policy cannot be an all comer’s affairs because Abuja remains the window through which the world sees Nigeria.

    In a statement issued by the Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister said: “As you all know, anybody who has a car, no matter where he is from, one day just decides, ‘I want to go to Abuja’ and he comes to Abuja and just paints the car or we paint it for him and register it and before you know it, he is on the streets. Some of them will come and they don’t even follow traffic regulations, they hit people on the road, park indiscriminately and I am sure most of them as you said are not your members and I know”.

    “But we will sit down with you and streamline it so that if somebody comes in, I will know this is not the type of driver or vehicle we want in Abuja. We will tell him to park it at the border and then enter our own kind of vehicles,” he emphasised.

    The Minister remarked that “for us in Abuja, we require your support; all the issues raised cannot be resolved without the support of the Unions”.

    He restated that NURTW and other Unions in the transportation industry are very important stakeholders in Nigeria because no economy will progress and survive without the movement of goods, services and human beings.

    Bello said that the FCT Administration through its investment arm would roll out empowerment programmes for the transport associations through credit facilities to enable them own commercial vehicles of the standard befitting of Abuja roads.

    On the knotty issue of multiple taxations, he assured, “We are working on it seriously because it affects you as transporters, and it affects the hotel and hospitality business. It affects the health and educational system. Everybody is complaining. So, we are going to streamline it because the duty of government is to facilitate what you do”.

    Bello used the opportunity to appeal to the NURTW and other unions in the transportation industry, to continue to be patience despite the challenges; saying, “under no circumstances should you take the law into your hands, no matters the provocation”.

  • Group trains 226

    The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in conjunction with Anti-Corruption Enlightenment Drive Initiative (ACEDI), has concluded arrangements to take the federal government’s anti-corruption campaign to schools.

    The coordinator of the group, Mr. Samuel Ukwu, who made the disclosure during a media parley in Abuja said that apart from visiting schools to enlighten them on anti-corruption, the group has trained over 226 Nigerians youths on various empowerment programmes, as a way of fighting crime and corruption.

    “We have the endorsement of the SGF, the National Orientation Agencies (NOA) and all the anti-corruption agencies in the country to take the federal government’s anti-corruption fight to the schools. ACEDI has been able to raise visible campaigns in some secondary schools in the FCT and we also hope to carry on this campaign across all the States and Local Governments in Nigeria.

    “We believe that corruption should be nipped from grassroots level as such, ACEDI’s next campaign move would be in Niger State. We hope to invade and educate the young minds of students on the ills of corruption. ACEDI would commence her campaigns in secondary schools and we have also commenced our community enlightenment programs.

    “ACEDI has been able to raise viable campaigns in some secondary schools in the FCT and we also hope to carry on this campaign across all the states and local government in Nigeria, as we believe that corruption should be nipped from the grass-root level, as such, ACEDI’s next campaign move would be in Niger state; we hope to invade and educate the young minds of students there on the ill of corruption.  ACEDI would commence her campaigns in secondary schools with Kick Start Academy, Niger state and we have also commenced our community enlightenment programs.

    “We came up with a 14-day Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme to train and eradicate self-doubt and increase personal empowerment as well as promote entrepreneurship in Nigeria. The goal of this empowerment program stems from the strong believe that unemployment is a major contribution to corruption. ACEDI is poised to contribute our quota in this regard.

  • Inside Abuja’s forgotten community

    Inside Abuja’s forgotten community

    On a hill, less than 10 minutes’ drive from Apo, in the nation’s capital city centre, is a community with hardly any feature of modern life, reports GRACE OBIKE

    From their unflattering hilly community they can hear the sounds of the city which lies only about 10 minutes’ drive away. The rich and powerful in Apo Legislative Quarters are not far away.

    In Chille, residents can only imagine the comforts of city life but they do not experience any. Theirs is the very opposite of what obtains in Apo in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Chille is devoid of any form of modern-day civilisation.

    The tiny village is devoid of water, electricity, quality school or  healthcare centre. The villagers who consist of Gbagyi, Tiv, Hausa and a few Igbo live in small structures made from mud bricks of not more than two rooms. They are mostly farmers and charcoal makers, with young wives who strap their children to their waists and go about their business while the children suckle.

    In this small, poor community women help each other to deliver their babies. In emergencies, they rush them over to a nurse a few miles from the community. Eventually, they were blessed with a two-classroom block owned by a  church where a few of them worship. There are two staff members  who teach children from Primary one to four. You can call it a church and school rolled into one. Older children stay back home to help their parents on the farm or charcoal making.

    With all the glitz and glamour that make up Abuja, one will not believe that a community still exists within Abuja, just a few minutes’ drive from the city centre and seat of power. The residents literally drink from gutters or dirty streams and a small hole.

    Husband to two wives and father of five, Muhammed Bello explained that the reason why the community is stuck to drinking from the dirty stream and not a well is because the earth in the village is too soft, making it impossible to dig a well which immediately fills back anytime they dig.

    “It caves back in and covers up; we realised that digging a well will not work here. We share this hole with cows, we drink from it, cook and do our laundry,” he said.

    He also said that they drink from another stream which separates them from the nearest community, adding, though, that vehicles and motorcycles pass through the same water. One thing is that water never dries up becomes it comes out of a small hole whose they have no idea. Animals also frink from it.

    “God has been protecting us. We have a lot of needs but if the government can assist us with water, we will really be grateful,” Bello said.

    Chief of the village, David Chille informed The Nation that the contaminated water causes boils and rashes on the bodies of their children.

    “Most of our people here are displaced and poor, after primary four we cannot afford to send our children to the nearest schools outside this village because they are all private and we cannot afford it. The water we drink is contaminated and it causes our children rashes and boils,” said the chief.

    He also added, “If the government can also assist us with a clinic, we will be grateful, all our pregnant women cannot afford to go for antenatals and when the time comes for them to deliver, they deliver without a hospital, three of them had complications recently, we rushed them to a church and a nurse there assisted.”

    It seemed like fortune was beginning to shine on the community when On Air Personality with Wazobia FM and founder Help One foundation James Expensive, drove to the community in search of land to build his dream school for the less privileged children.

    ”I drove past the stream and saw people drinking the dirty water and was surprised, I realised they were