Category: Northern Report

The Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), in conjunction with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has launched a new portal that provides customers with an automated online system for making payments for its services.

The payment system, known as FIGRA automatically notifies customers once their bills are due via e-mails and SMS alerts. It also allows customers to make payments using any of several payment options available-credit/debit cards, e-wallet or by visiting any AGIS-designated banks.

The essence of the new system is to save customers time and provide services that guarantee convenience, as well as ease payment-processing for services at AGIS.

AGIS Head of Communications, Mrs Grace Zamani said that “for the first time in the history of our service provision, customers now have the capability to make payments from the comfort of their homes.”

Mrs Zamani said that this innovation would reduce the crowd of customers that usually found milling around the AGIS office and payments points.

“The beauty of this system is that it consolidates all of AGIS’ services, and in the process adds greater speed and efficiency to AGIS operations. It helps us to keep real time track of the AGIS’ revenue collections,” she added.

Until now, payments for the AGIS services such as Fresh Land Applications, Legal Searches and Ground Rent bills had been carried out by visits to the designated banks.

The discomfort associated with this arrangement had given rise to complaints by customers.

These complaints call for a more innovative way to conveniently pay their bills for AGIS services. This resulted in the launch of FIGRA. The launch of AGIS online bill payment system began with two services: Initial Rights of Occupancy (RofO) and Ground Rent bills while Legal Search and Fresh Land Application had previously commenced on the FIGRA platform.

Customers will be able to make payments for these services by accessing the FIGRA platform onwww.figra.fct.gov.ng and selecting AGIS and the service they would like to make payments for or by simply clicking on the “Pay Bill” link on the FIGRA homepage.

A salesgirl, Amarachi Ude residing in Kubwa Village Abuja, has been arraigned before a Karu Upper Area Court for an alleged criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Police prosecutor Mohammed Garba told the court that the case was reported to the Apo Police Station by Mr Onoja ThankGod of Plot 271, Pent 5 Estate, Lokogoma Abuja on November 10, 2012.

Garba added that the accused, a sales girl employed by the complainant, collected the sum of N1.39m from her master and converted the money to her personal use.

He said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The accused denied the allegations and her counsel; Mr Alex Edim urged the court to grant his client bail “since she is presumed innocent until it is proved otherwise.”

Garba also urged the court to exercise its powers judiciously, adding that the allegations against the accused were such that she could not be granted bail.

However, the presiding judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1.5m with two sureties in like sum.

He said the sureties who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court, must affix their recent passport photographs on the bail bond.

Kagarko also ordered that the sureties must be identified by the Investigating Police Officer, the prosecutor and a staff of the court. He adjourned the case to January 14, 2013 for further hearing.

Traditional rulers in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged states in the country to support their request for the office of governor in the ongoing constitutional review.

The royal fathers made the request during the public session of the 1999 Constitutional review in AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in Abuja.

Chief of Jiwa, Alhaji Musa Iddris, who spoke on behalf of other royal fathers, said FCT indigenes had supported other states in their pursuits, “and thus deserved like treatment.”

He appealed to the members of the National Assembly and other Nigerians to support their demands.

Traditional ruler of Karshi Chiefdom, Alhaji Danladi Tanko who chaired the hearing, advised the National Assembly to respect the wishes of the FCT, “to avoid unforeseen circumstances in the future.

“We are very close to this people and we know them. So, we want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to look at the constitution and follow it,” he said.

Highlights of the public session were the demand by indigenes for two additional Senatorial seats, four additional federal constituencies, creation of the office of a governor, creation of legislative assembly, creation of mayoral status for the Federal Capital City, creation of original inhabitant development commission and six additional area councils in FCT.

The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Micah Yohanna Jiba urged politicians, religious leaders, and traditional rulers in the FCT to forget their differences and speak with one voice so as to actualise their aspiration.

“The FCT indigenes are equal to the task. If we can come together as brothers and sisters and make our demands clear to the National Assembly, then the sky will be our limit,” he said.

“The government has given this great opportunity for the constitutional review, an indication that this administration is a people-inclusive regime.”

He enjoined participants to pray for the country and its leadership, adding that there was need for FCT residents to continue to live in peace and harmony, thus promoting the unity of the country.

In Abuja Senior Magistrate Court has sentenced Yahaya Mohammed, 25, of Lugbe Village Abuja to three months imprisonment for stealing 12 sheets of zinc.

The Senior Magistrate, Mrs Hadiza Dodo pronounced the judgment after Mohammed pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency.

Dodo, however, gave the convict an option to pay N2,000 as fine.

The Magistrate said Mohammed must be punished for his actions to serve as a deterrent to other thieves.

Earlier, Police Prosecutor Paul Anigbo had said that the case was lodged at the Lugbe Police Station on November 8 by Sherif Shurfy of El- Salem Estate, Lugbe Abuja.

Anigbo said that sometime in October, Mohammed, who works as a labourer at the El-Salem Estate, Abuja, stole 12 sheets of roofing zinc from the construction site.

“Mohammed intentionally removed 12 sheets of roofing zinc from the construction site and sold them to one Yahaya Abdullahi for N3, 600,” Anigbo said.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 287 of the Penal Code Law.

Mohammed, who pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for mercy, said he committed the act because he needed money to buy some drugs.

He said he had the intention of replacing the zinc later.

“I admit to have stolen the zinc and selling them, although I had an intention to replace them back.

“ I was sick and needed to buy some drugs, but did not have any money. I am sorry and I am praying for forgiveness.’’

Similarly, Abdullahi of Lugbe Zone 8, Abuja, was arraigned before the court for allegedly receiving the stolen property.

Anigbo told the court that Sherif Shurfy of El-Salem Estate, Abuja, reported the case at the Lugbe Police Station.

“Abdullahi dishonestly received 12 sheets of stolen zinc from Mohammed and paid him N3, 600 for them,’’ Anigbo said.

Abdullahi, however, denied the allegation against him.

In view of his plea, the prosecutor prayed the court for a date to further mention the case.

Magistrate Dodo granted Abdullahi bail in the sum of N10, 000 with a surety in like sum.

She said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court in a definite address, which must be verified by the prosecutor and officials of the court.

The Magistrate said the surety must affix his passport photograph alongside that of the accused on the bail bond, and adjourned the case to November 28 for further hearing.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has cautioned banks and other financial institutions against granting loans to estate developers without authenticating the genuineness of their title documents from the Development Control Department.

The department, in a letter dated September 24, 2012, which was signed by the Director of the Department of Development Control Yahaya Yusuff and made available to newsmen in Abuja said loans should only be given to developers with proper evidence of building plan approval from the Department of Development Control.

Yusuff also implored the officials of the FCT Water Board and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to confirm the genuineness of land documents from the department before installing their infrastructures.

The statement said: “I am directed to request that your various financial institutions grant facilities on buildings within the Federal Capital City and area councils only when an evidence of building plan approval from the department is tendered by the applicants.

“In making this call, it is necessary to clarify that approval of building plans by any other agency like ministries, Federal Housing Agency and area councils is not valid in the FCT, even in cases where area councils had granted approvals in history, such approvals are not valid especially where the affected property had not been developed before 2006.

“In cases where such documents purporting approval of building plans are tendered, it is advised that your office verifies the documents to ensure authencity, this is against the background of the frequency of cases of forgery and fraudulent back-dating of such documents in developers desperate bid to enjoy relevant facilities”he said

The FCTA said the call become necessary in view of the invigorated demolition of properties in the FCT as occasioned not only by the rate of development of illegal structures but discoveries made of past forgey of documents either to secure such approvals or in the approvals themselves.

While urging banks to be mindful of the development, the development control said the move was necessitated in view of the risk of losing such funded projects to the city clean up exercises on account of improper approval procedures.

Barely a month after Kuje’s chapter of One Hundred Thousand Poets and Musicians for Change came into being, the Gwagwalada wing has been inaugurated.

Its aim was to enhance socio-political and economic development in the area council through music, painting, poetry and other forms of arts.

Habib Musa, a traditional musician and trumpeter was unanimously elected as the chairman of Gwagwalada’s wing of the movement during the inauguration ceremony.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of Abuja’s chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Mr Edwin Eriata Oribhabor, who brought the movement to Nigeria after it was initiated in the United States two years ago, said artistes are highly respected in the society.

He further said that the respect accorded to them should be seen as an advantage to preach change and development to the people.

Oribhabor said the poets, musicians and other artistes involved in the movement will stage a monthly or weekly concert in different parts of the council where pressing societal problems would be dissected and solutions proffered.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Musa, said he was delighted to be elected as the chairman of Gwagwalada wing of the group. He added that he will deploy everything at his disposal to bring about change.

The movement will be inaugurated in the four remaining area councils of the FCT before January 2013.

The authorities in the Federal Capital Territory have decried the defacing of the city walls with posters.

The territory administration wants perpetrators punished but first it requires a law in that regard.

That law will soon be passed to stop such acts in the city.

The Assistant Director, Aesthetics and Amenities, Development Control Department, Mr Richard Aderinwale, a lawyer, who led officials of the department on a clean-up exercise, said most of the pasting that were mostly done at night and by religious bodies and politicians.

He said a hot pressure machine has just been purchased to be used in cleaning up the city.

He blamed churches for pasting on any available space to announce crusades and night vigils.

He said the dirty act should be discouraged by all means, stressing that a legislation should be passed to disqualify politicians whose posters are found on the streets from contesting elections in the city.

He said if there was an enabling law, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) could enforce it on politicians and the defacing of the capital city would stop.

He said it is embarrassing that up till now there is no law against pasting of posters.

He advised residents to contact registered bodies before embarking on such exercise in the city.