The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • ‘We prioritise workers’ welfare’

    Workers in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have been assured that their welfare will continue to receive the highest attention under the present administration as all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of an enduring welfare package for them.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello gave the assurance  in  Abuja during the first Labour Day celebration of this Administration.

    The minister eulogised the workers for their remarkable contributions to nation building, adding that Labour is the goose that lays the golden egg.

    He pointed out that the Federal Capital Territory Administration has evolved various policies intended to ensure adequate welfare and conducive working environment for the work force.

    According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant ( Media ), Abubakar Sani, the minister said: “I make bold to say that, because of the high premium we place on workers’ welfare, this administration ensures regular payment of salaries and allowances to our workers; in the same vein we have ensured that housing allowances are paid as at when due, while deserving staff have received their promotions. Aside these, my administration places a high premium on staff training and retraining. This is with a view to giving incentives to our workers and ensuring optimal service delivery”.

    Bello said May Day is celebrated globally to mark the sacrifices of workers towards building a better world, adding that it highlights the contributions which workers have consistently made to ensure a world where values of social justice and employment rights are fully protected.

    He noted that the the theme for this year’s celebration which is “The Working Class and the Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.” is, indeed, very appropriate and timely, considering the state of our national affairs.

    Bello, however, lamented that this year’s May Day is being celebrated at a time of serious downturn in the nation’s economy with international oil prices sliding downwards and adversely affecting our national revenue. A situation which according to him was further worsened by corruption and mismanagement of the past.

    ”Being mindful of this situation, President Muhammadu Buhari articulated a Change Agenda that focuses on anti-corruption, fiscal discipline and diversification of the economy. In line with this, the Federal Government has evolved several policy frameworks designed to breathe a new lease of life into the economy,” he said.

    Malam Bello said the FCT administration would continue partner with Labour in the efforts towards restoring the old glory of our great nation, stressing that his administration will not allow the issue of paucity of funds to “make us abdicate our responsibility to Labour as the FCTA will continue to be a front runner on the issues of workers’ welfare”.

    Bello then urged Labour to continue to support government in these difficult times.

     

  • Water shortage: A Corps member’s solution

    Water shortage: A Corps member’s solution

    A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lifted the spirits of rural dwellers by providing them water, GRACE OBIKE reports

    Residents of rural parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have a lot to thank private citizens for. In such parts of town, social amenities are few but it is usually non-government persons or even non-Nigerians who throw in some food here, clothing there to help the people get by. Take internally displaced persons or IDPs in the FCT. They live in uncompleted buildings and have little food and poor water supply. They often fall ill and cannot easily get medicine or treatment. But from time to time, private citizens stop by with supplies while the government stays pretty much aloof.

    Recently, a foreign country took pictures of life in such rural communities and went about selling the shots to raise money for the communities.

    Now, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has to a large extent solved the water challenges of Dafara residents in Kuje council. The residents usually drink from a stream and age-old wells, and often come down with such water-borne diseases as cholera.

    Sometimes, individuals and groups would take free medicines to them but none ever solved their water problems.

    Mr Friday Okolie, who served with the Air Force, took it upon himself to provide Dafara with borehole water as part of his Community Development Service (CDS) Project. He got help from well-meaning people but the whole idea was his.

    The project started after he heard that the community was facing severe water shortages.

    Okolie said, “The project was informed by the medical outreach embarked upon by my colleagues to the community which exposed their lack of potable drinking water and other social amenities. Prior to the project, the major source of their water supply was local wells and stream which led to the death of many through polio, cholera, fever and other water related diseases. I also donated generator to them to enable them pump the water”.

    In appreciation, the community did not only welcome the Corps member as one of theirs but gave him a plot of land in the community and a chieftaincy title of Sarkin Noma II of Dafara.

    Okolie shed more light on his work, saying, “This project was initiated the day Corps members serving with the Nigerian Air Force Hospital came back from a free medical outreach and narrated the nature of the community they visited and the urgency required to provide for them more medical and other facilities. I henceforth decided to visit some communities in Kuje to know how I could help in my own [way] to provide for them whatever they needed most through NYSC platform.

    “When I got to this Dafara community and after much observation and assessment of their challenges   including lack of healthcare facilities, schools, good drinking water and good road, among others, I discovered that their most pressing need begging for urgent help is potable water which has been their major predicament for years.”

    He said the community chief, Joseph Makeri, explained that the Millennium Development Goal’s (MDG’s) borehole they depended on has collapsed and stopped working for years and since then, they depend on their local wells and stream for water.

    “To my total dismay, many have died of polio, cholera, fever and other water diseases in this community as a result of lack of good drinking water.”

    The Corps member who mobilised human, material and financial resources provided the community with a borehole, an overhead tank stand, water tank and generator, challenged fellow corps members to take advantage of every opportunity to initiate positive ideas geared towards impacting and contributing to the society during their service year.

    He said, “For those calling for the scrapping of NYSC, I appeal for a rethink, instead of scraping NYSC, lets suggest good ideas and policies that will move the organisation forward.

    “To my fellow corps members, as we obey the clarion call and lift our nation high under the sun or in the rain with dedication and selflessness let us not forget to initiate positive ideas that are geared towards impacting and contributing to the society. I urge you to be leaders anywhere you find yourself and also have the courage to dare things that may seem impossible. At first, you may fail or get defeated but you may also succeed. I could remember I told one of my friends of this idea and his response was “you, can you dig a well”? The thought of the fact that I am a corps member gave me self-confidence and the courage that made it a success. However, I must confess that was tasking but the fact remains that every success has its own challenges.

    “The place of my primary Assignment – Nigerian Airforce and its regimental ways doing things thought me a lot of knowledge and enormous experience which will forever remain to pave ways for me.”

     

  • Surviving economic woes

    State governments appeared to be the worst hit by the current low prices of oil in the international market. They have largely hinged developmental projects in their states on their allocations from the Federation Account.

    Since the oil prices started nose-diving last year, the states have been thrown into unimaginable financial crisis. With more workers at the state level than the federal, most of the states have been struggling with payment of workers’ salaries since income to the Federation Account started reducing.

    The problem appeared to be defying all solutions as series of bailouts from the Federal Government have not got the states out of the woods.

    Although, there have been some allegations that some states have not been using the bailout funds from the Federal Government to meet salaries arrears and other urgent obligations in the states. To make more funds available to run the states, the governors have also prevailed on the Federal Government to stop deductions of their outstanding loan repayment from their share of the Federation Account.

    Apart from pushing for upward review of revenue sharing formula in favour of state governments, they also asked for 18 months moratorium before starting repayment of some loans and bailout funds.

    In their move to find a solution to the crisis, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the National Economic Council (NEC) normally chaired by the Vice President, have become very regular in the past months.

    The NGF have met three times at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the past one month.

    The governors met on the 20th and 27th of April, 2016 in Abuja. The recent meeting was held last Wednesday, 18 May, 2016 where they decided to seek access to World Bank grant towards boosting their financial status. The present situation has gone a long way to show that the states have difficulty standing on their own without the income from the Federation Account.

    Knowing that many untapped opportunities abound in the states, those not yet looking into exploration of solid minerals in their domains should start work in that direction now. They have no reason not to do this now as the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has expressed commitment to diversifying the Nigeria economy. The state governments should also find ways to partner with the private sector in order to urgently exploit the solid minerals and other opportunities they have comparative advantage.

     

    SGF’s sucker punch

     

    Like a punch below the belt, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was momentarily shocked to his marrow last Wednesday.

    The missile came via a joke from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, just before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    Before Kachikwu came into the Council Chamber around 9:57am, Lawal had been trying to get ministers to settle down for the business of the day. But when Kachikwu came in some ministers were still on their feet exchanging pleasantries with their colleagues. Kachikwu also greeted the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and other ministers who were standing close to him. While he was doing that, Lawal said through the microphone: “Petroleum, you are shaking hands when there is no fuel.”

    Kachikwu immediately became quiet and sat down. It was obvious that he didn’t like the joke, though the displeasure may have been hidden behind a pair of dark glasses.

    Fashola came to his defence by replying SGF: “Petrol now sells for N107.”

    Fashola was referring to the report claiming that one of the oil marketers, AA Rano sold fuel at N107 per litre in Kano State.

    Only time will tell if the joke will make Kachikwu avoid his colleagues in subsequent FEC meetings till fuel supply and pricing normalise in every part of the country.

     

    Foreign media hold the ace

     

    Not a few State House correspondents were unhappy with the media coverage of the visit of one of the rescued Chibok girls, Amina Ali, to the Presidential Villa last Thursday. There appeared to be a preference for foreign media. No single print reporter accredited to cover the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was allowed to enter the President’s office to cover the visit.

    Those who were first allowed in were foreign cameramen and reporters of media organisations including CNN, Aljazeera, VOA, Reuters.

    After they had settled down, some State House correspondents on the list including NTA, Channels, TVC and AIT cameramen and reporters were allowed in.

    At the end of the visit, Borno State Governor, Kashim Ibrahim, also gave impression of having preference for ‘white’ skin above ‘black’ one.

    Some members of the State House correspondents, who had already gathered at the President’s office’s entrance, approached him for an interview as he was coming out from the President’s office. But he walked past the cameras and reporters and said he was not granting any interview on the matter.

    Before he walked to his vehicle, a white reporter of CNN approached him and he stopped to grant an interview to the gentleman. Most Nigerian media organisations have online editions that take the news beyond borders.

     

  • Niger residents groan as water scarcity worsens

    Life’s most precious liquid has been hard to come by in Niger State for weeks and there is little sign that the worst is over. Residents have been groaning as a result.

    Water boreholes have hardly made any difference because there has been no electricity to power them. There has been little or no supply of water from the state water board; when the board does pump water, only about 30 per cent of residents manage to get it.

    Even the Mai Ruwa or water vendors, who usually push their trucks about, are hard to come by; when they are seen, their fees are exorbitant.

    Members of the state House of Assembly have expressed concern over the development. The legislators urged the state government to do something and provide the people with water. They also asked for the upgrade of the water board.

    The call was made following a motion moved by the member representing Bosso Constituency, Hon Madaki Malik Bosso urging the state government to work in improving water supply in the state.

    Bosso noted that the supply of adequate water in the state has completely deteriorated adding that a lot of areas have been completely cut off from water supply.

    He added that the state water board which is supposed to supply the state with water has been commercialised as private water tankers who buy from the board and sell to residences at exorbitant prices adding that the water board needs a complete overhaul of equipments to meet up with the increasing expansion and populace of the state.

    He said, “It is pathetic to see people going up and down searching for water, even the truck pushers are not easily accessible. People hardly get water to drink, cook and bathe.

    “Government must make sure that the needs of the citizens are catered for. Water is first before anything. That is what prompted me to bring out the motion. Government have to find a lasting solution to water in the state.”

    After deliberation, the Legislators urged the government to direct the water board to engage their water tankers to supply water on regular basis at subsidised rate to people in the state while stressing on the need for the government to extend the ongoing water project in the state to meet up with adequate water supply.

     

  • ‘We prioritise workers’ welfare’

    Workers in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have been assured that their welfare will continue to receive the highest attention under the present administration as all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure the sustainability of an enduring welfare package for them.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello gave the assurance  in  Abuja during the first Labour Day celebration of this Administration.

    The minister eulogised the workers for their remarkable contributions to nation building, adding that Labour is the goose that lays the golden egg.

    He pointed out that the Federal Capital Territory Administration has evolved various policies intended to ensure adequate welfare and conducive working environment for the work force.

    According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant ( Media ), Abubakar Sani, the minister said: “I make bold to say that, because of the high premium we place on workers’ welfare, this administration ensures regular payment of salaries and allowances to our workers; in the same vein we have ensured that housing allowances are paid as at when due, while deserving staff have received their promotions. Aside these, my administration places a high premium on staff training and retraining. This is with a view to giving incentives to our workers and ensuring optimal service delivery”.

    Bello said May Day is celebrated globally to mark the sacrifices of workers towards building a better world, adding that it highlights the contributions which workers have consistently made to ensure a world where values of social justice and employment rights are fully protected.

    He noted that the the theme for this year’s celebration which is “The Working Class and the Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.” is, indeed, very appropriate and timely, considering the state of our national affairs.

    Bello, however, lamented that this year’s May Day is being celebrated at a time of serious downturn in the nation’s economy with international oil prices sliding downwards and adversely affecting our national revenue. A situation which according to him was further worsened by corruption and mismanagement of the past.

    ”Being mindful of this situation, President Muhammadu Buhari articulated a Change Agenda that focuses on anti-corruption, fiscal discipline and diversification of the economy. In line with this, the Federal Government has evolved several policy frameworks designed to breathe a new lease of life into the economy,” he said.

    Malam Bello said the FCT administration would continue partner with Labour in the efforts towards restoring the old glory of our great nation, stressing that his administration will not allow the issue of paucity of funds to “make us abdicate our responsibility to Labour as the FCTA will continue to be a front runner on the issues of workers’ welfare”.

    Bello then urged Labour to continue to support government in these difficult times.

     

  • Water shortage: Corps member to the rescue

    Water shortage: Corps member to the rescue

    A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lifted the spirits of rural dwellers by providing them water, GRACE OBIKE reports

    Residents of rural parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have a lot to thank private citizens for. In such parts of town, social amenities are few but it is usually non-government persons or even non-Nigerians who throw in some food here, clothing there to help the people get by. Take internally displaced persons or IDPs in the FCT. They live in uncompleted buildings and have little food and poor water supply. They often fall ill and cannot easily get medicine or treatment. But from time to time, private citizens stop by with supplies while the government stays pretty much aloof.

    Recently, a foreign country took pictures of life in such rural communities and went about selling the shots to raise money for the communities.

    Now, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has to a large extent solved the water challenges of Dafara residents in Kuje council. The residents usually drink from a stream and age-old wells, and often come down with such water-borne diseases as cholera.

    Sometimes, individuals and groups would take free medicines to them but none ever solved their water problems.

    Mr Friday Okolie, who served with the Air Force, took it upon himself to provide Dafara with borehole water as part of his Community Development Service (CDS) Project. He got help from well-meaning people but the whole idea was his.

    The project started after he heard that the community was facing severe water shortages.

    Okolie said, “The project was informed by the medical outreach embarked upon by my colleagues to the community which exposed their lack of potable drinking water and other social amenities. Prior to the project, the major source of their water supply was local wells and stream which led to the death of many through polio, cholera, fever and other water related diseases. I also donated generator to them to enable them pump the water”.

    In appreciation, the community did not only welcome the Corps member as one of theirs but gave him a plot of land in the community and a chieftaincy title of Sarkin Noma II of Dafara.

    Okolie shed more light on his work, saying, “This project was initiated the day Corps members serving with the Nigerian Air Force Hospital came back from a free medical outreach and narrated the nature of the community they visited and the urgency required to provide for them more medical and other facilities. I henceforth decided to visit some communities in Kuje to know how I could help in my own [way] to provide for them whatever they needed most through NYSC platform.

    “When I got to this Dafara community and after much observation and assessment of their challenges   including lack of healthcare facilities, schools, good drinking water and good road, among others, I discovered that their most pressing need begging for urgent help is potable water which has been their major predicament for years.”

    He said the community chief, Joseph Makeri, explained that the Millennium Development Goal’s (MDG’s) borehole they depended on has collapsed and stopped working for years and since then, they depend on their local wells and stream for water.

    “To my total dismay, many have died of polio, cholera, fever and other water diseases in this community as a result of lack of good drinking water.”

    The Corps member who mobilised human, material and financial resources provided the community with a borehole, an overhead tank stand, water tank and generator, challenged fellow corps members to take advantage of every opportunity to initiate positive ideas geared towards impacting and contributing to the society during their service year.

    He said, “For those calling for the scrapping of NYSC, I appeal for a rethink, instead of scraping NYSC, lets suggest good ideas and policies that will move the organisation forward.

    “To my fellow corps members, as we obey the clarion call and lift our nation high under the sun or in the rain with dedication and selflessness let us not forget to initiate positive ideas that are geared towards impacting and contributing to the society. I urge you to be leaders anywhere you find yourself and also have the courage to dare things that may seem impossible. At first, you may fail or get defeated but you may also succeed. I could remember I told one of my friends of this idea and his response was “you, can you dig a well”? The thought of the fact that I am a corps member gave me self-confidence and the courage that made it a success. However, I must confess that was tasking but the fact remains that every success has its own challenges.

    “The place of my primary Assignment – Nigerian Airforce and its regimental ways doing things thought me a lot of knowledge and enormous experience which will forever remain to pave ways for me.”

     

  • At oil marketers’ mercy

    What started as a rumour a few weeks back became a reality last Wednesday. The pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol was increased from N86.50 to N145 per litre. In essence, petroleum subsidy, which had been a huge burden on past administrations, has been removed.

    Some angry Nigerians immediately took to the social media to condemn the increase while others didn’t see anything wrong with the new development. There was great fear about what the real implication of the change will bring upon Nigerians in the following months.

    But looking back, many Nigerians in the past months have been suffering on long fuel queues due to scarcity of the product, which the new regime hopes to tackle. Even with the scarcity of the product at the official price of N86.50, the cost of transportation, foodstuff and other products and services had skyrocketed, with many Nigerians groaning under their impact.

    That was why many believed that the new maximum pump price of N145 per litre will not make the common man on the street fare any better in the short run.

    Announcing the increase at the Presidential Villa, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu disclosed that there were social protection provisions in the 2016 budget aimed at cushioning the effect of the fuel price increase.

    He said, “Along with this decision, the federal government has in the 2016 budget made an unprecedented social protection provision to cushion the current challenges.

    “We believe in the long term, that improved supply and competition will drive down prices.

    “The DPR and PPPRA have been mandated to ensure strict regulatory compliance including dealing decisively with anyone involved in hoarding petroleum products,” he stated.

    But some of the questions on the lips of some Nigerians are how will the social protection provision in the 2016 budget get to all Nigerians that will be adversely affected by the pump price increase? Is there any proper measure in place for this?

    Will oil marketers, that have held past administrations to ransom and made them dance to their tune, now allow pump price go below the official maximum price of N145 per litre, knowing their craze for maximum profits?

    While Kachikwu had also told State House correspondents that the leadership of the Senate, House of Representatives, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Labour Unions (NLC, TUC, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN) were part of the decision to increase pump price, it was surprising that NLC immediately issued a statement stating that it will resist the increase in fuel price.

    The Senate has also been reported to have scheduled debate on the matter by senators when the upper chamber resumes plenary this week.

    Also a few hours after the price increment announcement, NUPENG and PENGASSAN immediately scheduled a meeting of the unions billed for Calabar to deliberate on the matter.

    One cannot but wonder who is really trying to deceive Nigerians here.

    It was as if all the stakeholders were not fully involved in the process but only brought in at the last minutes to give impression that proper consultation was carried out before arriving at the increment.

    It could also have been deliberate and a wise move as those bodies might have resisted the change and made it impossible for the new price to be announced.

    With the new pump price now in place, there is no doubt that Nigerians are now indeed at the mercy of oil marketers.

    Some Nigerians have continued to wonder if it will be the best for Nigerians in the long run pointing out that some of the marketers have severally manipulated the system by hoarding and diverting fuel just to create artificial scarcity for their selfish gains.

    With free interaction of the forces of demand and supply, economic principles believe that prices of products and services, including oil can truly  go lower or higher than the N145 benchmark per litre.

    But the fear is whether the marketers will allow the price to freely go below the benchmark as they could still hang together as a body under the new price regime and go to any length to achieve maximum profit.

    Another question is whether the marketers that have been very difficult to monitor over the years can now be properly checked by the DPR and PPPRA under the new circumstances.

    All these issues need to be properly analyzed otherwise Nigerians will suffer more at the mercy of the oil marketers.

    But the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) are among the bodies that have hailed Buhari’s administration for the political will to remove the subsidy.

    They believed that the step will make foreign reserves available for the real sector and boost speedy development of the Nigeria economy.

    It is hoped that these projections and calculations will come to reality in order to place Nigeria on the path of growth. That is the dream of many Nigerians.

     

    Hitting the ground running

     

    It is no longer news that the 2016 Appropriation bill has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. But how will it be implemented in the next seven months and impact positively on the lives of Nigerians, knowing that about five months is already gone in the year.

    With the overview of the 2016 Budget and the Strategic Implementation Plan made public last Thursday by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, many economic analysts believed that it can really become a budget of change if properly implemented.

    Problems of some beautiful past budgets on paper, the analysts pointed out, had always been with budget implementation. They believed that Nigerians will be better for it if the 2016 Budget can achieve at least 70 percent implementation.

    This is a wake-up call for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies not to delay in hitting the ground running as Nigerians anxiously wait for the ‘change’.

     

  • Czech’s military equipment coming

    The Czech Republic Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Marian Jurecka has said his country would want to give Nigeria military equipment and provide other forms of assistance to fight terrorism.

    Jurecka spoke in Abuja when he led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello.

    The visiting Czech Republic Minister said he was in Nigeria with “more than 25 businesses representing various industries such as security, security systems, healthcare including manufacture of medical devices, the banking sector, mechanical engineering and agriculture and food production”.

    The Agriculture Minister noted that the relations between Nigeria and Czech Republic is very cordial and very friendly and hoped that the visit will help to strengthen the mutual relations.

    “The Czech government wants to continue the support it is providing to your country in the fight against terrorism through the training of your security forces, supplies of military material and servicing military equipment. We consider this support very important because we understand that in today’s world, nobody is safe when it comes to terrorism and you are one country that is fighting at the first line; for that you deserve our partnership,” he reiterated.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the FCT Minister called on the government of Czech Republic to take advantage of the liberalised business environment to invest in the medical sub-sector of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Bello noted that the people of the Czech Republic have a lot of experiences and expertise in the area of health technology that is worth sharing with other countries, especially on new techniques in the sub-sector; considering the huge success story of Czechs in that field.

    He said, “If your companies are interested or your private people are looking at medical markets, there is huge potential, particularly good quality medical services using modern technology and of course, the expertise that your country has”.

    The Minister remarked that there are several other areas of opportunity because the city has grown and like every other city that is growing; social facilities are over stretched, particularly in terms of waste management.

    He said, “The entire system of refuse collection, sorting out of the refuse and making sure that they are disposed off in a very environmentally friendly manner is also a veritable investment opportunity particularly, with the overall population of the territory now moving astronomically towards six million, which is much higher than what was planned for the city”.

    Bello urged the government and corporate organisations in the Czech Republic to provide opportunities for the FCT students and officials to study courses and skills in their country on products or projects that will be beneficial.

    “This will provide the advantage for students and our government officials to see your country, understand your structure, learn your language, so, when they come back, they become those that will facilitate the relationship between the two countries,” he empha-sised.

    Bello said, “Historically, your country has always been very supportive of our country militarily and also through training and other facilities and we thank you for that”.

     

  • Security: Uncompleted buildings under surveillance

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will embark on a comprehensive surveillance of all uncompleted buildings in the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that they are not turned into criminals’ breeding grounds and operational bases.

    FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello said this while receiving some Christian leaders who visited him.

    Bello said that the administration is concerned about several uncompleted buildings across the Federal Capital City and unidentified persons living in such places, who may pose security risk.

    He noted that his administration has been able to tackle some of the people using the under-bridges as their abode and that the operation would continue until the city is rid of such activities.

    According to a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister revealed that the administration had earlier spoken to the Muslim community on the unfortunate cases of street begging in some areas of the city and urged the residents to join hands with the FCTA to eradicate the menace.

    Bello disclosed that his administration intends to take the issues of rehabilitation very seriously to give those with such social problem a sense belonging, thereby making them useful to themselves and the entire society.

    He said, “In the 2016 fiscal year, the FCT Administration will upgrade rehabilitation centres for effective skill acquisition to make the rehabilitated persons independent and self-sustaining.”

    Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration also intends take them back to their families for re-absorption into the society after successful rehabilitation.

    According to him, the current FCT Administration will make Abuja friendlier to the populace by making them own all government policies and programmes.

    He added that his administration would encourage religious and moral education in its schools to give re-orientation to the younger generation.

    The FCT Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Israel Akanji who led the delegation appealed to the Minister for land for church groups and for FCT Administration to spare church building where possible.

    Rev. Akanji also asked that the government to re-consider its stance on sponsorship of pilgrims to Israel.

    The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye and other officials of the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the delegation, which included the Primate of Anglican Communion, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh and the Executive Secretary of NCPC, John Kennedy Opara, among others.

     

  • One rainy day

    Last Tuesday was messy for many staff and visitors at the Villa. Some cabinet ministers were also affected as the clouds released their contents for over one and a half hours.

    The only bad thing about the rain was its timing. It started around 4pm when some staff and visitors had to close for the day and needed to leave the Villa. Most of the staff and visitors, who had to leave, were trapped.

    Due to the heavy downpour, they could not get to their cars, which were parked far away in various car parks known as “Maitama’, ‘Asokoro’, ‘AYA’, Nyanya, and ‘Mararaba’, depending on their remoteness from the entrance.

    Two ministers who experienced the harsh weather were Kemi Adeosun (Finance) and Geoffrey Onyeama (Foreign Affairs).

    Their ordeal started when they wanted to leave the Villa at the end of the closed-door meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting Cameroonian President, Paul Biya and his delegation on Tuesday evening.

    The ministers were momentarily prevented from getting straight to their black SUVs  packed by the entrance to the President’s and Vice President’s offices.

    Their aides came to their rescue as they rushed forward to cover them with umbrellas and usher them to the waiting vehicles.

    Even with the umbrellas, none of them got inside their vehicles without some splashes and wetness from the skies. Their files fared no better.

    Some other top government officials and visitors who had their drivers waiting for them in their cars at the parks also did not wait too long by the entrance.

    They only placed telephone calls to their drivers instructing them to bring their cars to the entrance and they quickly rushed to it and hopped in as soon as the cars came to a stop.

    But one particular ‘big man’ was not so lucky. He could not reach his driver on the telephone for almost 30 minutes due to the weather.

    He had no choice but to wait for the rain to subside and the network restored before he could get his driver to bring his car to the entrance.

    Many staff and visitors, who did not have the privilege of a waiting driver, had to wait for the rain to stop.

    Some of them who have umbrellas covered themselves from the entrance to their cars.

    Those who had no umbrella, no one to lift them to their vehicles and could not wait for the rain to stop were mercilessly drenched before they reach the car parks.

    Some contracted maintenance staff in the Villa were not left out of the ugly experience as they had to defy the rain.

    Since the rain coincided with their closing time, they had to walk under the rain without cover in order not to miss their staff buses.

    Even some Villa staff, who were still working in their offices and not ready to leave the Villa during the heavy down pour were also affected by the rainy day.

    The air conditioning system. that had provided comfort to them few hours earlier in the hot afternoon suddenly became a source of discomfort.

    Their offices became extra ordinarily cold due to the central air conditioning system.

    Some of them had to quickly resort to their sweaters while others drank hot tea or coffee to warm their body.

    The irony of the situation was that most of them have no control over the central air conditioning system as only the maintenance staff have access and know where the control unit is located.

    Some of the major roads in the Villa were also badly affected by the heavy down pour as movement in and out were slowed down with the roads water logged from the period of the rain till close to half an hour after the rain ended.

    One major reason why most Villa staff and visitors to the State House were caught off guard by the rain last Tuesday was because it was one of the first heavy rain during the weekdays in the Villa.

    But they, no doubt, will henceforth be psychological and physically prepared for the coming rains.

    Tuesday’s raining day in the Villa cannot however be seen as bad omen, as it is God’s given and will go a long way to ensure food security of the nation.

     

    Gearing up for rainy exercises

     

    It may be very difficult for Villa staff who use the State House gym to easily agree that the heavy downpour last Tuesday was a blessing.

    The gym was flooded due to the leaking roof, which made some of the staff not to be able to use some of the equipment.

    The problem is not a new one as it has been there since the tenure of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Towards finding a solution, the issue was brought up in the ‘From the Villa’ of 3rd November 2015 titled ‘Exercising in the rain’ when some of the gym users expressed their displeasure about the problem.

    The repairs under the current dispensation might have been delayed by the grey areas in the 2016 Budget.

    Now that the 2016 Budget have been assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari last Friday, State House staff may not need to worry for long before the problem is rectified.

    But if the item happens to be one of those removed from the Budget by the National Assembly, then Villa staff have to gear up for rainy exercises in the gym till there might be hope for remedy if the item succeeds to make any supplementary budget later this year.

    It is hoped that it will not be too late as water and wetness is not good for the expensive equipment in the gym.

    Because of the importance of a healthy and fit State House workforce, anticipatory approval may also not be ruled out in tackling the issue.