The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Appointments and disappointments

    Last week was action-packed at the Villa. On Tuesday President Muha-mmadu Buhari hosted two West African presidents. Consider, too, the gale of appointments and disengagements, all in the week.

    The appointments effectively removed those whose tenures had expired or those who were in acting capacities, although there were also some who were let go before their tenures ran out.

    It was a shocker and disappointment for some of those whose first or second tenures had not expired before the latest appointments were announced.

    The statements announcing the appointments, which emanated from various government offices, had affected some heads of Federal Government agencies.

    Other appointments were made for some committees saddled with the responsibility of carrying out special assignments.

    Not all those affected were happy to relinquish the positions they have been occupying and enjoying the salaries, allowances and the pecks of office.

    The tsunami last week started on Monday with a statement from the Federal Ministry of Education.

    The President in the statement sacked 16 heads of key agencies under the Federal Ministry of Education and also announced their replacement including Nigerian Institute for Education Planning and Administration, Universal Basic Education, National Library of Nigeria, National Examinations Council, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Nomadic Education Commission.

    Other affected agencies in Education are the National Business and technical Examinations Board, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Computer Registration Council of Nigeria, National Commission for Colleges of Education, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, National Teachers Institute, Libarian Registration Council of Nigeria, National Mathematical Centre, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board and the National Institute of Nigerian Languages.

    The President also appointed a new Executive Secretary for the National Universities Commission ( NUC) to replace Prof. Julius Okojie whose two-term tenure just ended.

    On Tuesday, the President nominated seven nominees for the positions of Chairman, Executive Commissioner, and Non-Executive Commissioners in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    The list was forwarded to the Senate for confirmation in line with Section 8(1) of the NCC Act 2003.

    On the same day, the President, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), named a new Post-Master General / Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST).

    Buhari, on Thursday inaugurated the Governing Council and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Trust Fund for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

    The 12-man Council has the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed as the Chairman, while the 13-man BoT has Mr Wale Edun, a world renowned financial expert and former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, as the Chairman.

    Before last week, Buhari had upper Friday, through a statement from the office of the SGF announced five new heads of health agencies including the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, the National Centre for Disease Control, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and National Health Insurance Scheme.

    The new appointments have, no doubt, given these Nigerians the opportunities to serve the nation.

    The generality of Nigerians, on the other hand, expect them to hit the ground running and start delivering the goods in their new posts as soon as they assume office. The reason for this is that Nigerians have been waiting anxiously for the fruits of the change agenda of this administration to materialise. The new appointees cannot afford to fail the nation now.

     

    Nigeria’s 37th state

    If the joke by the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, last Tuesday was anything to go by, that country is gradually becoming the 37th state of Nigeria besides the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Talon, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for the first time since assuming office four months ago, has started to toe the line of the immediate past President, Boni Yayi, who frequent Nigeria under his tenure.

    Benin Republic has been befitting many facilities from Nigeria over the years like any state government in Nigeria.

    Topmost of these, is the dependent of Benin Republic on Nigeria for its power supply.

    Just like the real 36 states in Nigeria have been running to the Federal Government to get bailouts in other to survive the hard times, Benin Republic has not pretended not to be adversely affected by what is going on in Nigeria.

    No wonder Talon declared last Tuesday that the present downturn in the Nigeria economy due to dwindling prices of oil in the international market is adversely affecting Benin Republic and other African countries who have relied on Nigeria, as the ‘big brother of Africa’, for one thing or the other.

    Acknowledging that agriculture and other non-oil development are the way out of Nigeria’s current economic woes, Talon has offered to make Benin Republic one of the silos of Nigeria’s agricultural produce under the new moves to boost non-oil sectors in Nigeria.

    Because of the cultural and historical ties between the two countries, Talon has even offered for his country to import Made-in-Nigeria goods rather than importing from the other big economies.

    The time has come for Nigeria to go beyond the ‘big brother’ role and start benefiting from our ‘small brother’ countries.

    Nigeria, should start putting its acts together now to at least become a great exporter of goods and services to the neighbouring countries towards boosting Nigeria’s foreign earnings.

     

    Salvaging Ajaokuta Steel

    Nigerians last week Monday got another cheerful news from the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    This time, it was the Federal Government’s taking over the ownership of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    The complex, which is very significant for Nigeria’s development, has not been properly tapped over the years. Many other countries with less endowment in steel and related resources have been exploiting them to the fullest and have advanced technologically in the manufacturing sector ahead of Nigeria, while the one for Nigeria lie in waste. It is hope that Nigeria will get it right this time around.

  • Standard train reality

    History was made last Tuesday with President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurating the first standard gauge train service for passengers and freight in the country. Nigerians, over the years were used to the narrow gauge passenger trains, which were mostly grounded due to lack of maintenance, among other factors.

    Under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the standard gauge rail line was completed for the steel industry to move goods between Ajaokuta in Kogi State and Aladja in Delta State. The portion of the new project completed under Buhari and ready for commercial activities is the Abuja (Idu) – Kaduna segment of the Lagos – Kano railways, which moved from the realm of vision to reality last Tuesday.

    President Buhari and his team did not fail to commend the past administrations that conceived and commenced the project. Because it fell within the administration’s vision for Nigeria, the Buhari administration wasted no time to continue with the project as soon as it came on board.

    Also because of Buhari’s love for Nigerians, he didn’t follow the footsteps of some past leaders who abandoned laudable projects just because they didn’t want to share credit for the projects with past administrations. For their selfish interests, many of them had either looked away from projects at almost 100 percent completion or kill the project under the guise of going for newest technology that will bear their names alone.

    The past leaders never bothered if the nation will lose the billions of naira already invested in the projects they were abandoning. Rather than look away from the standard gauge rail project, and pursue after speed trains powered by electricity that will take many more years and huge investments to realize, President Buhari gave directives for the stations, the signaling, the communications and part of the tracks to be completed to make the standard gauge trains on Abuja-Kaduna route operational.

    While the locomotive and coaches for the route arrived in May, the administration commenced trial runs between June and July.

    The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi disclosed that the trial runs conveyed over 500 passengers per trip twice a day for a month and two weeks, free of charge.

    The inaugurated Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge train service, which is expected to be safe, comfortable, affordable, fast and reliable, would provide an alternative transport link between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State.

    It will further serve as a major catalyst for industrialization and employment generation. While boosting rapid socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of Nigerians, it is expected to promote social and regional integration.

    Buhari at the inauguration said: “I am delighted to be here today to commission the Abuja – Kaduna railway track and flag-off the Abuja-Kaduna train services (Passengers & Freight) on Nigeria’s first ever Standard Gauge Rail track to go into operation.

    “This project was conceived by a previous administration, started by the last government and I am pleased to complete and commission it,” he added

    Commending Buhari, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said: “It is a milestone in the history of our great country. Today as a country, we have shown our seriousness and determination to put in place a modern, efficient railway and by so doing, advance the stage of modern and developed economy.

    “On behalf of the National Assembly, I must commend the President and the Minister and his team for ceasing the initiative early in the life of this regime to complete this project,” he stated

    Determined to bring rapid socio-economic development and improve the quality of life of Nigerians in every part of the country and to promote social and regional integration,  Buhari has promised to implement the 25-Year Strategic Railway Master Plan and link most State capitals and major commercial and production centres with railway system.

    Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the completion of this alternative means of cheap, safe and fast transportation across the country. It is also hoped that in the long run, the cheap transportation to be offered by the rail will assist in reducing the prices of goods and services in Nigeria, which skyrocketed due to the high road transportation costs.

    The Buhari administration should also go a step further and look at what has been put in place for the smooth running and maintenance of the project, especially the operational Abuja-Kaduna train service.

    Unlike the past, everything should be done to protect the trains, rails and other facilities. The trains, for any reason, should never be allowed to degenerate to the experiences recorded with the narrow gauge trains where passengers not only hang on the doors and body of the train, but also climbed and stay on the trains while in motion.

    Also allowing the facilities in the trains like the air conditioning system, televisions, seats, windows, to be vandalized will amount to taking one step forwards and ten steps backward.

     

    Killing corruption in football

    It is no longer news that the anti-graft battle being fought by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in other sectors is now coming to football administrations in the country.

    Before now, corrupt practices have been massive in the administration of football in Nigeria, which have adversely affected its full development and tapping of its abundant potentials and opportunities.

    There have been many cases in the past where players’ match bonuses were either not paid or reviewed downward by the officials in charge after getting allocation for a higher rate.

    It has also been reported in the past that some players were made to bear the cost of their air tickets when invited for camps towards an international competition while the government has actually made provision for them.

    Also many cases have also been heard of some government officials reaching gentleman agreement to share the final bonus and other largess from a football competition at a percentage ratio with some players they smuggled into the final list of a championship.

    Team managers and coaches were not left out of the problem as some of them, especially local coaches, had their salaries and entitlements diverted and delayed while the money for them have been released by the government. All these and many other practices have discouraged players and coaches from giving their best to the round-leather game in Nigeria over the years.

    But Buhari last week Monday has now promised to pay keen interest to accountability and transparency to fast-track football development in Nigeria.

    “We will take the development of football very seriously and I encourage the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to behave itself and organize effective competitions for the good of the game,’’ he warned.

    This is seen by some sports analysts in the country as a right step in the right direction. If the new move will not beam searchlight on past happenings in the sports sector, those who have skeletons in their cupboards should urgently turn a new leaf now in order not to get theirs hands burnt.

     

  • Suspected beggar-syndicate members arrested

    In its efforts to stamp out street begging in the Federal Capital Territory, the Special Task Team on Abuja Environmental Protection has broken up a syndicate of suspected suppliers of beggars to strategic locations in Abuja.

    The chairman of the FCT Special Task Team Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel (retd) disclosed this while parading the suspects at the FCDA Police Station at Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja.

    The chairman revealed that the feat was achieved with the close collaboration of security agencies in the Task Team.

    The leader of the suspected syndicate, Baba Gwarma from Kaduna State, said that he is based in Karma-Jiji, a suburb of Abuja with their leader (Sarki) in the same vicinity.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director an Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, Squadron leader Monjel further disclosed that he has three personal vehicles for movement of beggars in and around Abuja as well as neigbouring states of Nasarawa, Niger and Kaduna states.

    He said that Baba Gwarma has houses that he has rented out and also provide shelter for the beggars in the syndicate in Karma-Jiji.

    The Chairman stated that the suspect has been arrested more than 50 times in the past, but this time he would be charged to court for subsequent prosecution.

    Squadron Leader Monjel further revealed that the suspect uses dangerous weapons to attack enforcement team.

  • FCTA pleads with striking cleaners

    Striking cleaners at the office complex of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister and its other agencies and departments have been urged to be patient as the administration is working hard to pay their three-month salary arrears.

    Many aggrieved cleaners, mostly widows and orphans last Monday, once again down tools, and staged a protest over non-payment of salary arrears owed them by the administration.

    However, the Director, Information and Communication at the FCTA, Mrs. Stella Ojeme, during an interview, described the strike action as unfortunate, as the Administration was actually working on resolving the issue, before they (the cleaners) decided that they were going on strike.

    Attributing the delay in payment of May, June and July salaries to the striking cleaners to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) regime, the Director noted that their cadres as well as that of the secretaries and the directors were affected by the federal government monetary policy.

    The Director, told The Nation that the Acting Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Salisu Mohammed, on Monday, had a meeting with the striking cleaners, where he assured them that their salaries will be paid fully.

    According to her, because the striking cleaners came in as casual staff, the FCTA authorities are trying to do some proper alignment (paper work), in line with TSA regime.

    Mrs. Ojeme adds: “Some of them just submitted their Bank Verification Number (BVN), so they had to put everything together to be sure that there is no ghost worker among them, and start to pay them. He (acting permanent secretary) has promised them that they would be paid their May, June and July salaries. I was there with him, when he sent for the relevant files, and started processing it. Unfortunately, the cleaners were not patient.

    “The FCTA 2016 budget had just been passed by the National Assembly, and we are still awaiting the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari, before it becomes law. Then, there would be available funds to pay them their outstanding salaries.

    “They were being paid all this while before the month of May, but right now, the acting Permanent Secretary is asking for their patience and understanding.

    “I’m not saying that we should owe them, it’s not what had been planned, but the fund was not available. However, I can assure they would be paid soon. My message to them is that they should be patient as this issue will be resolved very soon.”

    Asked how the FCTA officials within are coping with the situation, she said: “Like my own office, my staff helps in cleaning the place, but for some officials who don’t feel that they need to have their offices cleaned are managing to stay in it like that pending when the striking cleaners will resume work there.”

    Meanwhile, it was gathered that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, on return from yesterday’s commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna railway transport service by President Muhammadu Buhari, issued a directive for the immediate payment of the three-month salary arrears owned the cleaners.

  • Cattle take over major roads

    Cattle take over major roads

    Residents bemoan cattle grazing menace, reports GBENGA OMOKHUNU 

    Mr. John Ayooba who lives in Kuje, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), told Abuja Review that the city’s challenges brought on by its population growth have been worsened by grazing activities, with cattle obstructing vehicular and pedestrian movement.

    He said, “It is becoming terrible, almost every day when I pass from Kuje to town I come across cows obstructing the major highway and when you call the attention of the owners to control them to avoid accident or damage to property they don’t listen. Abuja is becoming something else and government should do something urgently before the situation gets out of hand.”

    A government source said that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) took measures in the past to curb cattle grazing but its efforts amounted to little more than verbal warnings to herdsmen to refrain from improper grazing activities along major highways.

    Another resident Tolu Abinbola said that the illegal grazing of cattle by herdsmen is just one of several problems facing Abuja, including the prevalence of street hawkers, unemployed youths, and “street urchins” which have “taken over every nook and cranny of the city.

    “I have observed how cattle and other livestock have now taken over the city centre of Abuja and I have really fallen short of words. It is not only degrading, but the distortion of the Abuja master plan also gives me a cause for concern.

    “I am neither a soothsayer nor a doomsday prophet, but public reaction to this unfortunate prowling of animals may not be good for the image of the FCT minister, Alhaji Mohammad Bello, who appears to be doing nothing about this apparent contravention of the Abuja environmental laws.

    “The activities of Fulani herdsmen within Abuja city centre are just inappropriate. For cows to be allowed to roam the city and compete for space with human beings is retrogressive and causes serious health and social crises in the hinterland where they eat up crops, pollute streams, rivers and other sources of water supply in the satellite towns and villages and cause deaths on the highways.”

    Ibrahim, a civil servant who lives in Kubwa, said, “From Kuje to Abaji and from Maitama to the presidential villa and highbrow Asokoro, Fulani herdsmen and their cattle are constantly fighting for space with motorists and pedestrians. The National Assembly, right to the office of the National Security Adviser are not spared by the herdsmen and their cattle. The herdsmen graze their cattle at the traffic junctions where police halt vehicles for upwards of 30 miniutes or completely block the road for cattle to cross to the other side of the road.

    “While we cannot run away from these cows that are a veritable source of protein that nurtures our health and bodies, they should be raised in a civilised manner. Distraught residents are sick and tired of the unprecedented ubiquity of herdsmen walking their cattle on the roads. The man-hour lost in hold-ups cannot be economically verified, but the psycho-social trauma of accidents, caused like the one on the Abuja-Lokoja expressway should move any government to action.

    “I suggest as a matter of urgent national importance that the FCT minister should quickly do something before things get worse. He must hasten to create and demarcate grazing reserves and cattle ranches to control the movement of the herdsmen seeking pasture for their livestock in the FCT and not necessarily in the city centre. We also advise that it has become expedient to constitute a committee consisting of all tribes that would campaign on the importance of unity and peaceful coexistence, because the silence of the people is like that of peace that exists in the graveyard. We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder if we allow cattle to disturb traffic, deface the streets and enter people’s premises. The time to act is now.”

    It would be recalled that few weeks ago the Federal Government on its part said it has concluded plans to build ranches for herdsmen as part of measures to address the perennial herdsmen/farmers clashes which had claimed hundreds of lives in the country.

    The government also said it would train park rangers, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies to protect farms and other agro-business from looting by hoodlums.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh said this at the inauguration of an Inter-ministerial Committee on Security in Ministries of Agric and Interior.

    The minister explained that the nation is facing challenging times, noting that the government was concerned about protection for investments.

    He stated that the government was looking at ways to curb herdsmen and crop farmers clashes across the country by evolving solutions that would assure indigenous and foreign investors of the security of their investments.

    Ogbeh noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to developing and expanding the economy, and the protection of investment.

    He said, “The current problem we are facing is the security of investment. We are inviting people, Nigerians and foreigners alike to invest in this country, especially in the agriculture industry. The crime rate is soaring and sometimes, criminality is carried out because there is no credible intelligence.

    “We are planning now to build ranches and bring our cattle rearers in manageable conditions where herdsmen and farmers would no longer have clashes. We are going to encourage agro investment. We assure indigenous investors, foreign investors that Nigeria is serious about investment and about protecting investors.

    “Nigeria can’t afford the looting of private investment by hoodlums who think that is their share of the national treasury.”

    The minister stated that the committee was expected to work out the modalities for the training and deployment of the security personnel that would be involved in investment and infrastructure protection across the country.

    He however cautioned that when deployed, the security operatives should not be converted to duties other than what they were trained for.

    “The security officers are not to be converted to private body guards or errand boys to be sent to the market or shopping malls,” Ogbeh warned.

  • Mobile court to try environmental offenders

    The chairman of Kwali area council Joseph Shazin has revealed that his administration will use mobile courts as the last resort to deal with persons caught engaging in improper dumping of refuse in the area.

    Shazin who disclosed this recently while speaking with journalists, explained that the mobile court will help to make residents abide by the environmental rules in the area.

    He stressed that despite all measures put in place by the council, some residents are defiant of such measures and had continuously dispose their waste where they are not supposed to.

    The chairman added that one of the measures his administration intends to take to overcome the menace is to embark on massive sensitization on the importance of keeping a clean and healthy environment.

    He said the council is coming up with the old ways of monthly environmental sanitation exercise, adding that the exercise will keep the residents on their toes, to do the needful and help to make the council clean.

    “We need to tackle the issue of refuse disposal fast, before it overwhelms us. It is very important to keep our environment clean at all times. This we cannot achieve, unless we have the support of the residents of the council. I am calling on them to abide by the rules.

    “We might introduce the monthly environmental sanitation. This will help us a great deal. The mobile court again is another way of keeping the residents in line. We will also embark on rigorous sensitization exercise, because a healthy environment is what we want to achieve,” he said.

  • Buhari and the Green Alternative

    Nigeria, unfortunately fell from its vantage position as an agro- economy in the 1960s to a mono-economy solely based on oil for many years. Its agricultural produce from every zone in the country was not only enough to meet local consumption in the early sixties but was a major earner of foreign exchange.

    The discovery of oil changed the story, and became more or less a curse.

    The reason for this is that incomes from oil sales over the years were either mismanaged or a greater part of them fraudulently found their ways into private pockets.

    As a fallout of the problem, the standard and number of public infrastructures and facilities amd other public services in the country do not match the quantum of oil incomes that accrued to Nigeria in the past five decades. Nigeria is far behind nations that found oil after her, even when such countries’ daily oil output is less than that of Nigeria.

    No matter the type of government infrastructure and facility in Nigeria, the common scenario is that they are either in a dilapidated state or completely abandoned to rot away.

    The discovery of oil in Nigeria drew away attention from agricultural business while at the same time led to impoverishment of Nigerians due to its mismanagement.

    Sensing the ills in a mono-based economy, several past administrations have made attempts to take Nigeria back to its lost glory in agriculture.

    In these efforts, they introduced various agricultural programmes including ‘Green Revolution’, ‘Operation Feed the Nation’, Fadama I, Fadama II and Fadama III.

    The various agricultural programmes, over the years have not succeeded in making Nigeria an agriculturally-based economy and couldn’t change Nigeria as an oil-dependent economy.

    Most factors economic watchers have put forward for the failure were poor implementation of the programmes, lack of political will and incontinuity of laudable programmes by successive administrations.

    Right from his period of campaign for the highest office in the land, President Muhammadu Buhari has not put anyone in doubt as to his commitment to diversify the Nigerian economy mainly through agriculture and solid minerals development.

    True to his desires in line with the vision of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Buhari last Wednesday approved a new agriculture roadmap, called ‘Green Alternative’ for the next three years.

    It aims to ensure food security for the nation and facilitate the government’s capacity to meet its obligations to Nigerians on safety and quality nutrition of food in the country.

    The government plans to enhance the country’s foreign exchange earning capacity through agricultural exports and make Nigeria a major foreign exchange earner from agriculture.

    It intends to grow the agriculture’s share of non-oil exports earnings to 75%.

    From the 129-page ‘Green Alternative’ roadmap document, the government also intends to increase agriculture’s share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 23%, increase agriculture share of labour force to 70%.

    While aiming to increase agricultural activity mix by 85% in crop production, the government also plans to increase livestock and other non-crop by 15%.

    It plans to increase agriculture’s share of the budget by 2.0%.

    Everything should be done now to ensure that the ‘Green Alternative’ does not suffer the same fate with those laudable past programmes that failed.

    Special attention should be paid to the factors that led to failure of the past programmes.

     

    Outlawing sports jamboree

    It was a normal practice for many government officials who have no business with a particular sporting championship to be part of government delegation to such international championship abroad.

    In most cases, the numbers of Nigeria’s government officials to such competition always double the number of athletes participating in the competition.

    These officials who have no business at the international competition, always have a way of being part of the ‘padded’ government’s list and attend such tournament on the bill of the government.

    Rather than making adequate provision for the welfare of the athletes to boost their morales towards giving their best, such fund allocated by the government were misappropriated for the benefit of the officials.

    By virtue of their seniority in the sporting circle, they also enjoy privileges never extended to the athletes at such foreign competition.

    They stay in better hotels and received better services than the athletes.

    There have also been reports of those in charge including the names of their family members, relatives and girlfriends on government delegation to such international competition.

    As a departure from the past, President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday warned those in charge to avoid including names of those who have no business at the 2016 Olympic Games billed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 5th to 21st of August.

    He said: “We are all aware of our nation’s dwindling revenue and the current global economic challenges. It is therefore imperative that funds provided for the Games are utilized judiciously.

    “In this regard, any official who has no business at the Games should stay at home to cheer the team from here and if they must travel to the Olympics, they should do so at their own expense.” He said

    This definitely is a good development to fight corruption in such championship and ensure judicious use of government resources.

    It will ensure availability of funds to meet athletes’ welfare needs at such competition.

    This, will in turn improve the chances of Nigeria going higher on the medals table at the championship.

  • Condolences for murdered woman preacher

    Condolences for murdered woman preacher

    The chairman of Bwari area council, Musa Dikko has visited the family of late Eunice Elisha, a deaconess at the Divine Touch Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who was murdered while preaching at the Pipeline area of Kubwa.

    Speaking during the visit, the chairman of the council, stated that although, he had visited the family earlier on, he decided to pay another visit, together with the security team of the council, so as to reintegrate the team’s determination in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

    “I was here with some security personnel’s under the directive of the Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammed. The council security team and I, are here again to condole with the family over what happened.

    “We condemned in totality the barbaric act. Nobody is happy about it and I promise you that we will get those who committed this evil act,” he said.

    While condoling with the family of the deceased, Dikko revealed that the council have taken serious security measures, in order to further protect the lives and property of people in the council.

    “I want to assure every body of the council that the government and security agents are not sleeping until this is solved. We have also met with traditional and religious leaders in the council, because they have a big role to play,” he said.

    Responding, the husband of the murdered woman, Pastor Olawale Elisha expressed gratitude to the chairman for his visit, adding that the overwhelming support of people have brought peace for the family.

    “Bwari area council is my home. I have lived here for quite some time and my wife was well known. She was called Madam Bazango. She was well loved. The chief of this area came to condole with us too.

    “Many people, including Muslims were here crying. She died as a martyr. As it is God’s will for her to die like this, I give God the praise. I pray that her death will preach to us to maximise our day here on earth and to surrender to God.

    “Let her death preach love to us. I know and believe that we are not alone. When you know that people are supporting you, you have peace. I pray God help us to fulfil our destiny,” she said.

    Also speaking, the new DPO of Kubwa, Fatima Gimbi promised the Elisha’s family that the security forces were doing everything it could to see that the perpetrators were brought to book.

  • Council inaugurates economic advisory committee

    The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Candido has inaugurated a 15-man high powered Economic and Advisory Committee to facilitate rapid development of the council.

    Candido, while inaugurating the committee which has the council’s vice chairman, Mr. Lawrence Onuchukwu as its chairman, described it as the most important and critical committee constituted, since he assumed office as AMAC chairman.

    He disclosed the committee’s terms of reference which includes to ensure prudent management of AMAC resources, to act as vanguard against corruption and corrupt conducts, to monitor joint AMAC and Private-Public Partnership (PPP) projects, as well as to explore further areas and to enhance revenue generation to the council.

    The AMAC chairman explained that the idea behind the setting up of the committee, was primarily to ensure that the resources of the council are properly harnessed and used for the benefit of the common in the council.

    “This committee is mandated to do anything within the law to ensure that AMAC gets resources outside the statutory monthly federal allocation accruing to the council.

    “As major stakeholders in the management of this council, we must be seen judiciously spending their money. We have a mandate to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people.

    “This cannot be achieved until we have resources, and we cannot just sit down and keep asking where the resources are, because, resources are in abundance outside there.

    “If the staff of this Area Council is not paid, I will hold you responsible; and if we are not able to do one or two things for the people, I will also hold you responsible,” he said.

    The committee chairman, Lawrence Onuchukwu, while responding on behalf of the committee members, assured the AMAC chairman that the team will do everything humanly possible to deliver the mandate given to it.

    “Even though we as new administration met a dilapidated area council, we are not afraid of the challenges therein,” he said.

     

  • NASS to receive Food Hygiene bill

    A bill on the Food Hygiene Initiative of Nigeria (FHIN) will be presented to the National Assembly next week, National President of FHIN Mr. Nicolas Karimu has said.

    Karimu said there will be a meeting with the lawmaker on the bill before the official presentation.

    He spoke in Abuja at the passing out parade ceremony of 500 officers in Abuja.

    They were trained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), at their academy.

    Karimu said they have been working with the Federal Ministry of Health and currently in 21 states.

    He said, “It is about seven months we have been working on the bill. Our lawyers are through with the bill and in the next two week it will be presented to the National Assembly. We have put together a very good bill that would assist the country fight against food and water diseases. The bill is called Food Hygiene Initiative of Nigeria, (FHIN) Act 2016. By next week we will have meeting with the lawmakers At the National Assembly before the presentation of the bill.

    “We are in about 21 states, we are creating awareness, organizing workshops, training food vendors, inspecting their activities on daily basis and reporting back to the Federal Ministry of Health. We have saved a lot of lives.

    “This organisation was established in November 2014. We have up to 1000 staff across the country. We are hoping to train more because our target is to get up to 7,000 staff that will cover the entire country. My message to the graduating people is that they should come and apply and stop saying that there is no job when there is job. Like now what we are going our staff is allowance and we do have our source of income.

    “After training those food vendors we issue them certificate of training. With that certificate we generate little revenue that comes into the purse of the organization.”

    He disclosed that all the security agencies except the military are aware of FHIN activities with strong collaborations for effective delivery.

    The Provost of Civil Defense Academy, Commandant Waheed Popoola expressed optimism that FHIN would be diligent at discharging its duties.