The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Good values first

    Nigerians expecting instant transformation of their fortunes may have to wait for some time. They had been yearning for better life and improved social services, among other demands, long before the present administration came on board. But their predicaments, caused by problems of massive corruption, infrastructural decay, amongst others bedeviling the nation, were worsened by the economic recession that ushered in the new administration.

    The prices of oil, the mainstay of the economy, crashed in the international market from above $100 per barrel to about $30 at the inception of this administration.

    The renewed militancy in the Niger Delta has also not helped matters as vandalism of pipelines and other installations was said to have resulted in Nigeria losing one million barrels of oil per day in the last six months.

    These definitely disrupted government’s projections, planning and may also hamper significant implementation of the 2016 Budget.

    Presently, the hardship in the land, directly due to high inflation, is getting to an alarming level that has made it very difficult for many Nigerian households to feed properly let alone meet other personal needs.

    They have been told that no magic wand will be deployed to solve the problems and that they may have to wait longer as the change they want won’t come easily unless they play their own roles.

    To ensure that Nigerians are re-orientated to play their part in the society, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture headed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, launched the new national campaign slogan “Change Begins With Me” at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja last Thursday.

    The main target of the campaign is to engender a holistic attitudunal change in Nigerians and make them imbibe the lost core values their forefathers were known for.

    It intends to replace lawlessness, dishonesty, indolence, unbridled corruption and widespread impunity with the virtues of honesty, hard work, Godliness. integrity, punctuality, good-neighbourliness, abhorrence of corruption and patriotism.

    Speaking at the occasion, President Muhammadu Buhari said: “This campaign is part of the determination of our party to seek to carry all Nigerians along on the journey to a better and greater society that we all can be proud of.

    “Every one of us must have a change from our old ways of doing things, we cannot fold our arms and allow things to continue the old way.

    “We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long. Let us summon a new spirit of responsibility, spirit of service, of patriotism and sacrifice, Let us all resolve to pitch in and work hard and look after, not only ourselves but one another.

    “We are under no illusion that the changes we seek will happen overnight, but we have no doubt that the campaign will help restore our value system and rekindle our nationalistic fervor.

    “I am therefore appealing to all Nigerians to be part of this campaign. Our citizens must realize that the change they want to see begins with them, and that personal and social reforms are not theoretic exercise.

    “If you have not seen the change in you, you cannot see it in others or even the larger society. In other words, before you ask ‘where is the change they promised us’, you must first ask how far have I changed my ways ‘what have I done to be part of the change for the greater good of society’. he stated

    Even though Buhari’s attempt to change the way of lives of Nigerians between 1983 and 1985 through ‘the War Against Indiscipline’ (WAI) campaign was truncated, it is hoped that the new national reorientation campaign will help restore those good core values among Nigerians.

    More so, as it has been stated that the good core values will precede the good things Nigerians are clamoring for.

     

    And Jonathan steals the show

     

    Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday was the centre of attraction at the Council Chamber of the State House.

    Jonathan, who handed over the mantle of leadership to President Muhammadu Buhari, was attending the Council of State meeting for the first time under the Buhari administration.

    Apart from being the first Council of State meeting Jonathan was attending, it was also the first time he was entering the Council Chamber for any function since May 29, 2015.

    Prior to that date, Jonathan as a sitting President always had his arrival announced by one of his aides that shouted ‘Mr. President’, any time he was coming to preside over any meeting in the Council Chamber.

    Following his arrival announcement, Jonathan will then enter the Council chamber with his security aides around him to preside over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting or the Council of State meeting or any other meeting.

    But it was a different ball game for Jonathan last Wednesday, as he didn’t have his arrival announced and didn’t enter the chamber with any security aide guiding him.

    He only entered the Chamber as one of the past Presidents of Nigeria alongside Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ernest Shonekan.

    While leading other past leaders to the Council of State meeting or trying to start any other meeting in the Council Chamber, most photographers and videographers always focused on the presiding President, which this time around is President Buhari. But there was a sharp departure from the normal trend last Wednesday.

    Even without the attributes of a sitting President, Jonathan last Wednesday managed to steal the show at the commencement of the Council of State meeting, which was open to journalists.

    Despite not entering the Chamber for the purpose of presiding over the meeting, the attention of journalists shifted to Jonathan as he made his way with others into the chamber.

    As soon as they spotted him, photographers and videographers scrambled for better spaces as they rushed to take their positions in front of the seats marked for past leaders.

    They went into action and took snapshots as soon as Jonathan, Abdulsalami and Shonekan tried to settle into their seats.

    Jonathan was obviously enjoying the drama as he was smiling and acknowledging greetings from journalists.

    President Buhari remained standing while the drama lasted, only bringing it to an end when he called for the rendition of the National Anthem, then Christian and Muslim prayers.

     

  • Low WAEC results: Minister reads riot act

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has challenged school principals in the FCT to ensure that from next academic session, all secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory attain at least 50 per cent success in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO).

    Bello who gave the challenge during a meeting with school principals in the Territory said that the 30 percent success recorded in 2016 WAEC and NECO in FCT schools is no longer acceptable.

    The minister who was represented at the meeting by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye insisted that students must achieve at least 50 per cent or the principal will be penalised.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the Minister warned that the FCT Administration will no longer accept excuses of poor infrastructure or inadequate teachers; saying that school principals must do everything to ensure that this situation is changed.

    He said it is unthinkable that the FCT with the largest concentration of the elite, which should be setting the pace for other states, is now turning out a measly 30 percent success in very critical examinations as WAEC and NECO.

    “The mandate I will give you that goes with sanction; for this new session, every principal must be determined that for WAEC and NECO in 2017, any principal that does not achieve 50 percent success should just quietly leave that school because the principal is going to be removed. If you don’t achieve 50 percent success in WAEC and NECO 2017, you are no longer fit to be a principal in FCT and I mean it. That is the minimum that we want for every school and you must work towards it,” he stressed.

    The Minister added, “We want the success rate to change. That is very important. We cannot be gathering students and at the end of their final year, all they will have is three credits. I don’t know whether you are proud as a principal that in your school, the success rate is five percent. I want principals that will be determined to say in my school, things must change.

    Infrastructure or no infrastructure, resources or no resources, I want to put myself as a sacrifice and change things.  That is what I want to do before I leave the service. I want to be known to have done something good for Nigeria.”

    Bello also warned principals to desist from charging illegal fees of any sort when provisions have already been made through the FCT Secondary Education Board to run these schools; emphasizing that principals who persist with this ignoble act would also attract heavy sanctions from the FCT Administration.

    His words: “My mission is not to come and make you sad; but the situation is bad and you know it and we are ready to tackle it. But you must be up and doing too and that is why I said I must call all the principals and talk to you to do the right things. That is what this Administration is about. We are ready to put the right things in place. We are ready to work for Nigeria. But we want people that will join us to do this. That is why when you come to FCT today, it is not business as usual and we want to send that message down to our institutions.”

     

  • A crackdown on overhead bridge hawkers

    The Federal Capital Territory has taken steps to ensure that hawkers steer clear of overhead bridges, GRACE OBIKE reports

    The daily tragic drama on the roads is coming to end. Pedestrians often shun the overhead bridges and enact a sprint across the busy expressways at a huge cost to themselves. Many have been hit and injured or killed by fast-moving vehicles.

    The administration of the territory had long warned of the dangers of not using the bridges but many residents would not. Now, the administration is enforcing the order, by clearing the bridges of hawkers and the destitute.

    The FCT administration on its part has attempted on several occasions to implement laws that will force residents to use such bridges, in some cases, fences have been built in places like Nicon and some strategic locations in Abuja to prevent residents from crossing the road but such fences are in most cases pulled down.

    To prove the administration’s readiness to curb street hawkers and enforce the use of the overhead bridges, Minister of the FCT Malam Muhammad Bello visited the pedestrian bridge in Ludge, a village along the Airport Road.

    There, he reiterated that such bridges were constructed for easy movement and passage of residents crossing the highways but not meant for hawking, begging or for other nuisances and therefore a stop must be put to it forthwith.

    He directed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the FCT Task Team on Environment to as a matter of urgency stop hawkers using pedestrian bridges for their activities in the Federal Capital Territory.

    Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary FCT, Muhammad Sule made the revelation in a press statement where he credited the minister with warning warned that hawking and other activities are not acceptable on the Pedestrian bridges across the Territory and called for strict enforcement.

    He quoted the minister saying, “The Administration is not prepared to take excuses anymore; saying that they must carry out their statutory duty.

    “Malam Bello also instructed that the AEPB and the Task Team must also get rid of herdsmen still grazing in the Federal Capital City; noting, “you must find a way in dealing with that bizarre situation”.

    “He seized that opportunity to talk to the crowd gathered around the pedestrian bridge on why people should not use such places as shopping malls.

    “He told them that pedestrian bridges were also not constructed for miscreants and further warned that all activities must be very far away from the expressway ways.

    “These expressways are the gateway into the Federal Capital City and the seat of power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore everything must be done to keep Abuja clean from all environmental nuisances in line with the vision of its founding fathers,” Malam Bello stressed.

    The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olanipekun and the Chairman of the FCT Task Team on Environment, Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel, accompanied the Minister on the unscheduled visit and promised to implement the law.

     

     

  • Digital tech: The next frontier

    If the message from the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Tuesday is anything to go by, the lives of Nigerian youth will soon change. They have not only been challenged to gear up for the digital world, they were told to be ready to overtake their counterparts in developing countries like India that have already progressed ahead of Nigeria in digital technology over the years. Not only are the Nigerian youths expected to forge ahead of their counterparts in other developing economies in the digital field, Nigeria is already planning to make it a source of foreign exchange earner by exporting human capacity in technology.

    In this direction, the Federal Government through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefilure, in conjunction with Google at the State House, Abuja commenced training of 400,000 Nigerian youth. The training based on the theme ‘Diversifying the Nigerian Economy: Enabling Youth through Digital Skills Training’ was expected to train the youth in the areas of content creation, application development, web design, social media and digital strategy.

    The training, which is to boost youth employment, is expected to contribute to the national plan, especially to the economic development.

    Apart from acquiring skills to do business and create more job opportunities, the youth are expected to be able to train others. The youth, at the end of the training, are also expected to start working towards creating something positive and yet-to-be-seen or imagined by the technology world, far beyond facebook, Uber, Jobberman, Iroko Tv and others.

    Besides the training, the Federal Government, in partnership with other bodies, is establishing technology hubs across the country, with two super hubs in Lagos and Abuja and six regional hubs in the six geo-political zones.

    While the hubs are expected to have infrastructure and capacity building tools, they are to be designed to produce relevant innovative technology, solutions to a wide range of business, commercial and government problems.

    Another 65,000 Nigerian youth are also expected to be trained this year in hardware and software services including animation as provided for in the 2016 Budget. These youths at the end of the day are expected to build, assemble hardware and to write innovative programmes.

    Flagging off the Google Digital Training for Youth Empowerment, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said: “The future has certainly arrived and it is a future that has come bearing great hope.

    “Today, technology has opened mind-bugling opportunities in commerce, in science and medicine and practically all aspects of human endeavor. Today technology has created space for millions of business opportunities. Just by being able to virtually connect millions of people, the internet has changed the business landscape and empowered any one with great ideas and any smart handheld device.

    “It is in recognition of the central role of innovation and technology in our national economic growth plan that the federal government in the current budget provided extensively for technology and innovation. One thing that I want to assure you today is that we are all together determined to make sure that we give every opportunity that is possible to the youth in technology and innovation. I can assure you that the next few years are going to be great indeed,” he added.

    To make sure other youth in remote areas are not left out of the training, stakeholders at the flag-off ceremony also harped on the need for the training to be taken to the grassroot and not a one off thing in Abuja. Getting these right will go a long way in taking Nigeria out of the woods especially technologically more so as the economy is battered by the falling prices of oil in the international market. Again, it is high time Nigeria becomes a force to be reckoned with in the technology world.

     Rewarding excellence

    Hearing ‘Aso Villa Demo’ for the first time may be mistaken for a name of one of the new football clubs in Nigeria. But it is far from that, as it is mainly concerned with encouraging innovation and technology in Nigeria. The name however had some semblance with football clubs as it encouraged, just like football, ‘competition’ but this time in technology among Nigerian youths.

    To this end, the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja last Friday hosted the Aso Villa Demo Day, which was the final event for the competition among 4,000 youth groups in the country. Before Friday, 30 of them had emerged winners from competitions in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Among the 30, three top winners of the competition including Tracology, Recycle point, and Mass shuttle were announced to the public at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday.

    The three winners did not only had the opportunity of having the presence of the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of social networking website, Facebook, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg at the occasion, but they met and took snapshots with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office.

    The three winners also got monetary rewards from Airtel, which announced N3 million for each of them, Sahara Energy announced N500,000 each for them, while Dell also announced undisclosed amount for the winners.

    Osinbajo said at the event: “This is the first Aso Villa Demo Day but the next year will be bigger and better. I’m sure you are going to have a great future and I certainly look forward to working with you as part of the government of Nigeria to ensure that all that your talents and abilities are put in the best possible use and we I’ll support you all the way,” he added

     

  • Council chief hires vigilance groups

    The Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Alhaji Abdullahi Galadima, has disclosed plans to recruit vigilante members that would collaborate with the security agents to checkmate any form of crime in the entire council.

    Galadima while addressing journalists in Kuje after a closed door security meeting with traditional rulers and security agencies, therefore, urged the youth in the area to continue to remain law abiding to all constituted authorities.

    He however, called for the continued support to the council and noted that plans were underway to recruit vigilante members that would also collaborate with the security agents to checkmate any form of crime in the entire council. while urging residents to remain law abiding to all constituted authorities.

    Galadima said the issue of security was a collective responsibility of everybody, hence it had become necessary to rid the council of any form of crime and criminality.

    He advise residents to always partner with all security agencies by giving them any useful information whenever the need arose.

     

  • IDPs’ plight worsens

    Following deteriorating plight of the Burma-Gosa Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Durumi area of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is about 10km from the Presidential villa, many have resorted to commercial motorcycle business for survival.

    The suffering IDPs also surrounded by mega-churches, embassies and major national and international agencies, cannot  boast of two square meals a day, shelter, clothes, good medical care, or water.

    While recounting their ordeal, the secretary of the camp, Mr. Bala Yusuf recalled that at the initial stage, the wife the Chief of Army Staff Mrs Tukur Buratai had  built and donated a self-contained medical center to the camps.

    Yusuf said: “But the issue and the problem we have here is that we do not have enough drugs inside the center. Whenever there is any issue relating to accident or emergency we hardly get assistance from anybody because must of our peoples in the camps just do Okada business to assist in the health center, even the Okada that they are doing is illegal in Abuja and some time police will arrest them”

    According to him, “the director managing the medical center is very interested to do more to the to help the camp without any payment and since h started doing the work, he has families no body is paying him. So we are calling on our brothers in the country to give us a little support no matter how small it will go a long way to ease the suffering of the people in the camp, who barely feed once a day nor have access to medical care. If not for the food intervention  from good Samaritans that only sustain us for few days, or couldn’t go round sometimes” he added.

    He further called on the Federal Government to look into their plight.

    His words: “We need enough drugs for our medical center. The major problems we are facing in the camps as far as we are concern is the lack of educational systems and materials in the camps. We initially started teaching the children by ourselves because some of have all forms of qualifications, from SSCE, NCE and other qualifications.

    “We are teaching them but, you know any child that started doing

    primary schools here may no longer nor further pursuit to another level because as they complete primary six they can not go further because our school here is not attached to any government school of education.

    “When they finish primary 6, no common entrance , no JSS 1, no

    schools to attached them and we are looking for a responsible persons to assist us in taking such responsibilities to adopt the children into government schools. We are citizens of this country and we are suffering like a slaves in our country. It is not good and we believed that there are some kind of people wasting their resources.

    “It is only one bed in this health center that over two thousand three hundred people in the camp, are using  it and most time women are giving birth inside the Batcher, you can see the signs of the batchers one of the Batcher can accommodate only like 5 to 7 kids inside.

    “If rain is falling at the night some of our people can not sleep until the rain stops before we can enter to our various batchers, like the one that you are seeing here is housing almost 25 families and their kids inside it. We are calling of the two regions, Christian and Muslim to come to our aid.”

     

  • Kerry in Aso Rock

    The US Secretary of State, John Kerry is yet to occupy the office of the President of the United States (US), but the security apparatus put in place on his visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja last Tuesday appeared to be more impressive  than those for visiting presidents from other countries.

    Most times, security appeared to be relaxed and nothing extraordinary during visits by other countries’ Presidents to the Presidential Villa, Abuja as the place is perceived to be the most secured place in Nigeria.

    Visiting security men, who accompany such visiting Presidents hardly have any business to do at the Aso Rock Villa prior to their principals’ visit.

    Their first contact with the Villa on a particular visit is when they accompany their Presidents to the Villa for the visit proper.

    Even though President Muhammadu Buhari did not come to the forecourt  to receive Kerry like he does with visiting Presidents, nothing was left to chance as far as security arrangement was concerned for Kerry, whose official functions in the US government are similar to those of a Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria.

    Security ground works for Kerry, who was a five time senator in the US before his current position, started in the State House Abuja about twenty four hours to his scheduled visit.

    Some US plain clothed security personnel were spotted last week Monday carrying out their assignments at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    More security and US Embassy staff were also deployed to the State House Abuja before Kerry’s arrival on Tuesday.

    While one US security personnel in mufti was seen standing at the middle of the forecourt communicating intermittently on his wireless gadget as the 2.55 p.m scheduled arrival time for Kerry approached, one of the US Embassy media man assisted in positioning the State House photographers and videographers by showing them where to stay to do their job as they awaited Kerry’s arrival.

    At about 3.06 p.m., four black-coloured American specs, including Chevrolet and Ford made their way through the Service Chiefs Gate to the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Kerry did not alight from his vehicle for about two minutes when his car stopped, probably to allow his security men from other cars position themselves.

    Kerry also appeared to be waiting in the vehicle for Villa’s State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Kazaure Lawal, who received him on behalf of the President, to take position by his vehicle.

    He had to bend his 1.93 meter body height in order not to hit his head against the car as he alighted.

    Photographers and videographers, who had gathered at the forecourt immediately went to work as their cameras clicked away while Kerry was ushered to the main entrance of President Buhari’s office.

    Apart from visiting journalists, only two television stations’ cameramen accredited to the State House and two State House official photographers were allowed to establish the bilateral meeting at the President’s office.

    Kerry emerged from the main entrance to the President’s office after about two hours that he entered for the closed door meeting.

    Security men at the Villa including the visiting ones immediately went into action by clearing the about 200 meters passage from the President’s office to the State House Press Waiting Room, where Kerry was planned to meet with some selected state governors from the Northern part of Nigeria.

    To access the venue of the meeting with the governors, Kerry had to pass in front of the Council Chamber Press Gallery, where journalists covering the State House stay to do their jobs.

    The journalists sometimes stand on the corridor in front of the Council Chamber Press Gallery to ambush and interview some high profile visitors coming out from the President’s office.

    But last Tuesday was a different ball game as they were not allowed near the corridor when Kerry made his way from the President’s office to the venue of the meeting.

    Some security men had to stand in front of the Council Chamber Press Gallery door to ensure no journalist disobey the instruction and venture to the corridor while Kerry moved to the venue of his second meeting in the Villa.

    Again just like the first meeting, establishment of the meeting with the state governors was limited. Only seven State House cameramen and photographers were allowed to establish the meet.

    While many visiting Presidents and other leaders hold joint press conferences with the Nigerian President at the end of such bilateral meetings at the Villa, there was no press conference with Kerry throughout his stay at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The visit, no doubt, showed that the Aso Rock actually received a special visitor from God’s own country.

    It may also be very difficult to fault the security arrangement put in place for Kerry knowing the situation of the insurgency and militancy in some parts of Nigeria.

    The US Embassy in Nigeria that has severally warned its citizens on movements to certain states in Nigeria won’t want to take any chances with Kerry’s life in any part of the country.

     

    Battle against corruption

    One of the news items that emerged from the closed door meeting between Buhari and Kerry last Tuesday was move to make the present anti-corruption war in Nigeria live beyond the current dispensation.

    Buhari promised that the anti-corruption crusade will not only be deepened but institutionalized.

    This is definitely a warning to all those secretly taking what do not belong to them to be ready for probe when his administration exits power.

    All well-meaning Nigerians, no doubt, will be praying for the anti-corruption war to live beyond this government in order to ensure that the commonwealth of Nigeria continues to be utilized for the generality of Nigerians and not siphoned to private pockets of few individuals.

    But to achieve this, there must be a real change in the behaviour of Nigerians at all levels.

    For a start, Nigerians must begin to see things from the national perspective and not from selfish, ethnic or religious angles.

    Whether the anti-corruption war to be institutionalized will live beyond Buhari will also largely depend on the subsequent administrations that will come at the end of Buhari’s government.

    Will they have the political will and love for Nigeria to shun corruption and continue to fight it to a standstill?

    Or will they embrace it like we have seen in the past?

    Only time will answer these questions.

  • FCT reactivates polio eradication task force

    In order to maintain the zero prevalence level of poliomyelitis in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the administration has reactivated the task force to tackle the disease. The task force has the brief to coordinate an immunisation programme to eradicate the disease.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye said this  while inaugurating the reactivated task force.

    Ajakaiye said the action was taken as a proactive measure to prevent any resurgence of the disease in any part of the Federal Capital Territory.

    He revealed that the administration has also approved the expansion of the task force membership in order to ensure sector-wide stakeholder participation.

    The Permanent Secretary said that this effort of the FCT Administration is geared towards strengthening Childhood Immunization Services across the 8,000 square kilometers of the Territory.

    According to the statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary Muhammad Sule, Ajakaiye insisted that Abuja must remain the pace setter for the 36 states of the federation to emulate and therefore urged members of the Task Team to work very hard to maintain the tempo.

    He stated that the FCT Administration would continue to provide all the necessary support to ensure that the programmes earmarked for the sustenance of the agenda are fully implemented.

    The Task Force’s terms of reference is to ensure effective leadership and coordination of all immunization activities by the FCT; prepare and regularly review/update a 12 month state plan for the intensification of Polio Eradication and Routine Immunization activities required interrupt/sustain interruption of wild poliovirus transmission.

    Other terms of reference are to ensure the formation of LGA inter-sectoral committees to coordinate planning and implementation of quality routine immunisation campaigns at LGA level; to oversee preparation of budgets for immunization activities, advocate for timely and adequate resource allocation and ensure judicious use of all funds allocation for these activities as well as coordinate the planning and execution of polio eradication supplemental immunisation activities amongst others.

    According to him, to give the desired impetus the assignment deserves, the reactivated and expanded Task Force would be chaired by himself, the FCT Permanent Secretary and the Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board would serve as the Secretary.

    Other members of the 35-Member Task Force include some officials of the FCT Administration, Traditional Rulers, Religious Organizations, Media, World Health Organization, UNICEF, European Union, Emergency Agencies as well as the FCT Area Councils’ officials.

    Speaking earlier, the Acting Secretary of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Mrs. Alice Odey Achu assured that the Secretariat is poised to sustain the zero status of the Federal Capital Territory in poliomyelitis.

    The inaugural meeting to appraise the previous achievements as well as hit the ground running on the new task ahead was held immediately after the inauguration.

     

  • Boko Haram: Minister orders speedy completion of UN House

    The rehabilitation of the United Nations House in Abuja destroyed by Boko Haram in 2012 should be completed in time for its handover, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has directed.

    The minister gave the directive to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) when he paid an unscheduled visit to the House in the Central Business District, Abuja to ascertain the level of completion.

    The Minister said that the completion would allow the UN agencies presently staying at different locations in the FCT to return to base, thereby making their operation more efficient.

    It would be recalled that the UN House was bombed on August 26, 2012 by Boko Haram terrorists and the Nigerian government awarded contract for its rehabilitation on the 27th December, 2012 and the project is 80 per cent complete as at today.

    Bello stressed that the authorities of the FCDA should sit down with the contractors, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and the UN Resident Co-ordinator in Nigeria to resolve all grey areas that would lead to the completion and early handover.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director cum Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister said:  “It is all our duty to see that all the United Nations agencies staying around Abuja are back here. And I think it will send a strong signal to those that bombed this place. Whatever they do to us, we will continue to be strong.”

    He used the opportunity to thank the UN for the support it has been giving to Nigeria; stating that such humanitarian gesture would always be appreciated.

    Taking the Minister round the site, the UN Resident Co-ordinator who is also UNICEF Country Representative, Jean Gough thanked the Minister for the special attention he has been giving to the rehabilitation works.

    The FCDA Executive Secretary, Mr. Adamu Ismaila and some officials of the FCT administration accompanied the Minister on the unscheduled visit.

     

  • NAS helps Abuja IDPs

    The National Association of Seadogs has started distributing  medical and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in New Kuchingoro and Waru IDP camps in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The initiative, according to Vice President of the Association, Uzor Ziko, aligns with the NAS key objective of positively impacting the communities we operate and is aimed at ameliorating the pains and suffering of families affected by insecurity and violence in the North East.

    He said, “We have identified and are concerned about these communities of displaced people who find their limited resources quickly depleted and are unable to cater for their basic needs, hence the need for the intervention.

    She further asserted that the association have a borehole project they are working on that will go round different part of the IDP Camps across the nation.

    “This is the fourth IDP camp we are visiting and our intervention initiative will continue to focus on working together with the government, other humanitarian stakeholders and donors to deliver basic assistance and support to displaced people and IDP populations.”

    Also, Director of Media, John Oke explained that the government can’t do everything alone as its needs the assistance from other stakeholder’s ýin impacting in the community.

    He further explained that Seadogs is like an old sailor and they are acting like an old sailor.

    The Medical consultant of NAS, Dr Oteri Joseph, said “this is something we do every quarter of the year in different communities. We have gone to Oyo, Bayelsa State among others.

    One of the recipient of the relief materials Aisha Garba lauded the association’s good gesture saying, “God will bless the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) . The number of lives they touched today is unbelievable, not to talk of other camps, which are 10 times bigger than the camps here,” she said.

    Another of the recipients Musa Bako, also lauded the NAS’s philanthropic gesture and appealed to other prominent Nigerians to emulate the good deeds.

    Dangote Foundation recently provided succour to the victims of Nepal’s disastrous earthquake by donating $1 million to the government and people of that country. The amount was in line with its mandate to provide relief in times of disaster, with a message that the Chairman of the Foundation, Aliko Dangote, and the people of Nigeria shared in that country’s moment of grief.

    The Dangote Foundation has been touching lives both within and outside the shores of Nigeria since its establishment in 1993, providing opportunities for social and economic transformation through investments and interventions that improve and promote health, education and broaden economic empowerment opportunities.

    Aliko Dangote endowed the Foundation with $1.35 billion in March 2014 to ensure that the Foundation had secure and steady funding to carry out its mission and significantly scales up its work both within and outside the shores of the country.