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Tag: FCDA

  • Wike promotes over 2,000 FCTA, FCDA workers

    Wike promotes over 2,000 FCTA, FCDA workers

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike,  has approved the immediate promotion of over 2,000 workers of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    The promotion was as a result of the examinations from Tuesday, November 25 to Saturday, November 29, 2025.

    Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, said on Wednesday that the over 2,000 civil servants cut across 165 cadres. 

    Ezeh described the promotion as a clear demonstration of the FCT Minister’s commitment to staff welfare and career progression, promising that promotion examinations will be conducted as and when due. 

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    The FCT Civil Service Commission Chairman urged civil servants to begin early preparation for the 2025 and 2026 promotions, saying; “as only diligent and hardworking staff will be promoted”.

    He reiterated that the commission will continue to conduct promotion examinations, using the Computer-Based Test (CBT), adding that this will deepen the newly introduced digital platform for promotion examinations that was approved by the FCT Minister.

  • Demolition: Wike orders FCDA to allocate land to Gishiri victims

    Demolition: Wike orders FCDA to allocate land to Gishiri victims

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has directed the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to allocate new land to residents of Gishiri village displaced by the construction of Arterial Road N16 in Katampe District, Abuja.

    During a recent meeting with stakeholders from Gishiri, Wike expressed dissatisfaction with reports from both FCDA officials and affected residents. 

    He pledged to visit the community for an on-site assessment.

    Speaking to the affected residents on Wednesday, the minister instructed the Director of Resettlements and Compensation, Nasiru Suleiman, to ensure compensation payments are completed within one week.

    Wike urged those whose buildings were demolished for the project to accept financial compensation first while awaiting land allocation.

    Wike said: “If you don’t take the money, I’ll not give you people the land again. Go and collect the money. So, as you take the land, you start developing it, if I hear that you did not take it, I would not also give you the land and you would be the one that will suffer it”.

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    Wike had earlier said the initial compensation budget of N655m was increased to N1.3bn due to the economic situation in the country.

    He clarified that the compensation rates were determined by government valuation standards and assured that due process should be followed to ensure fairness and transparency.

    The victims claimed that they were given an area covered by water which they said would not be good for habitation, insisting that they should be given the land behind the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Gishiri.

  • Court sets May 7 hearing in suit challenging FCDA director’s certificates

    Court sets May 7 hearing in suit challenging FCDA director’s certificates

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 7 for the hearing of a suit questioning the authenticity of the academic credentials of Odom Anita, a director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). 

    In a ruling, Justice Binta Nyako also granted the University of Port Harcourt permission to file the necessary documents in the case. 

    Counsel for the university, Jude Ezenwata, informed the court that his client had filed a motion seeking to validate a counter affidavit submitted out of time in opposition to the suit. 

    The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/929/2024, was filed by Njoku Ifeanyichukwu through his lawyer, Abiodun Olusanya. The defendants in the case include the FCDA, the University of Port Harcourt, and Anita. 

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    The plaintiff alleges discrepancies in Anita’s certificates and claims that her academic records from the University of Port Harcourt are necessary to verify inconsistencies in her service records at the FCDA. 

    Ifeanyichukwu is asking the court to compel the university to produce Anita’s admission records, departmental results, and graduation certificate.

    He is also seeking an order for the FCDA to provide her academic records, graduation certificate, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, which were used for her employment.

  • Reps order arrest of three FCDA officials

    Reps order arrest of three FCDA officials

    The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on Thursday asked the Inspector General of Police to effect the arrest of the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Richard Dauda over refusal to honour its invitation over an alleged breach of building code in the federal capital territory (FCT).

    The House committee also ordered the arrest of the Director, Department of Development Control Muktar Galadima and the Director of Regional Planning of the FCT.

    The chairman of the committee, Mike Etaba who issued the order at the resumed hearing of the committee explained that the decision to issue the warrant of arrest was in tandem with the extant provision of the Legislative Houses powers and privileges Act 2017.

    The committee asked the IGP to not only ensure the arrest them, but compel them to appear before the committee on the 28th of March to explain their role on the committal of the alleged infraction.

    Etaba explained that he was left with no option after the FDA officials deliberately shunned the summon of the committee. 

    Etaba who later led members of the committee for on the spot assessment of the building site in Guzape disclosed that the FCDA officials would surely be compelled to produce documents required to ascertain the veracity of the claim of the petitioner.

    He said, “We had a petition that was brought before us by a Nigerian citizen and in the course of investigation, the FCDA has refused to come and tender documents necessary for us to proceed with this investigation. But for today, we have come to the site where the petition is referring to. 

    “We have looked at the building plans and the engineer in site who we met known as Mr. Emmanuel who we met told the committee that there is no approved building plan with him right now. We have looked at the structure, the land mark, the complain bybthe complainant who is a Nigerian and has a right to his security and safety. 

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    “We have looked at it and we would go back to the committee and ask for more documents especially the approved plan so that the FCDA would be able to explain to us the guideline they gave for this building so that we can determine what is actually good for this site and let Nigerians living around here have their peace. We are here to do justice to everybody.

    The committee had at its proceedings on Tuesday adopted the petition on the issue regarding plot AO9399 cadastral zone filed by the Chairman of the House committee on Custom, Elder Leke Abejide.

    Counsel to Abejide, Samuel Ajayi said the petition before the House committee was in respect of the development on a property at AO9399 Cadestral zone, allegedly contravening the building code of the FCT. 

    “We have a complain in respect to a building going on there in Guzape which trespassed into the rights of my client. We are urging the appropriate authority to take appropriate step address the issue,” he said.

  • FCDA retires three top directors

    FCDA retires three top directors

    The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has celebrated three retired directors for their unblemished, satisfactory, and committed service to humanity.

    The retirees are Mr Isah Abdullahi, retired Director, Legal Services; Mr Bello Tunau, retired Director, Department of Engineering Design and Evaluation and Mr Adebowale Ademo, retired Director, Public Building,

    The Executive Secretary, Mr Shehu Ahmad, said during the event in Abuja, that the retirees were being celebrated as members of the FCDA family and for their contributions to the development of the federal capital.

    “The FCDA had and has always operated as a family. So, when a family member gets to the terminal point of his career, it is only fair that the family come together and celebrate his exit.

    “The gentlemen we are celebrating today have unblemishly, satisfactorily, and committedly served their father land and have been here for 35 years, knowing nothing other than coming to serve in the FCDA.

    The ES said their exit was with mixed feelings, as “these are gentlemen who have gone through all the rudiments of training and have acquired all the skills and expertise in their various fields that the service needs.

    “But the only good thing about it is that they had, in the course of their service, trained a lot of their subordinates.”

    The ES advised the retirees to float consultancy outfits, make their doors open and their expertise available for the FCDA to consult.

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    One of the retirees, Ademo, described his years of service in the FCDA as very fulfilling and that he was leaving the service a fulfilled man.

    He promised that his doors would be open to support the development of the federal capital.

    Abdullahi, on his part, described his years in service as the best moment of his life, due to the specialised training and expertise acquired in legal drafting.

    “I handled a lot of bills that today are functional in the FCTA.

    “The FCT Internal Revenue Service Law is one of the laws that I saw through and today, it is one of the agencies of the FCTA that is vibrant.

    On his part, Tunau said he had fully prepared for retirement, saying, “I am a professional, so I will continue my practice.”

  • FCDA, firm row over 500Mw power project

    The plan by Jehata Nigeria Limited to build a 500 megawatts (Mw)power generation  plant in Abuja may hit the rock, following objection by  the Federal Council Development Authority(FCDA).

    The firm (owners of Abuja Power Station) was accused of not  following     due diligence practice in its approach to the issue of building  the power plant by the FCDA.

    In a letter dated March 19 and made available to The Nation, Jehata Nigeria Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Jameel Jammal, accused the management of FCDA of delaying the siting of the plant.

    According to him, FCDA has refused to provide land for the project, seven and half years after the idea was mooted.

    He said the allegation of non-compliance with due process by FCDA was aimed at discouraging the firm from executing the project.

    Jehata Nigeria, Jammal noted,  wrote the FCDA to express its readiness to build the plant, adding that the letter was not treated.

    The letter read: “We, unequivocally, state that we do not understand what you mean by conducting ‘due diligence’ in our company. Recall that in the last seven years, we have been struggling with your office. The main issue is about FCDA allocating land to us (which we have opted to pay for) for the purpose of building a power plant and in those traumatic years. We, at Jehata Nigeria Limited, have given every conceivable piece of information to help your due diligence.”

    He added that his firm had earlier submitted some documents to FCDA as a proof of due diligence. The documents, he said, include Certificate of Incorporation of Jehata Nigeria Limited, the passport of its Managing Director, Jameel Jammal, his birth certificate, his firm’s tax clearance, letters of recommendation from the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), site verification by Federal Ministry of Environment and letter from Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN).

    Others, he said, are Abuja Power Station Executive Summary and Drawings/Site plans.

    FCDA, however, countered Jehata Nigeria. A letter signed by the FCDA’s Director, Engineering Services, Shehu Hadi Ahmad, stated that the inability of Jehata Nigeria to follow due process slowed the building of the plant.

    He added that the delay in the construction was caused by Jehata Nigeria’s failure to address some administrative procedures. “I wish to express our regrets for the inadvertent delay in the process of your request, which arose due to some administrative procedures necessary to be fulfilled when dealing with such issue of eminent significance,” he said.

    FCDA, Ahmed said, was aware of the passion demonstrated by the firm to build a plant that would generate and inject 500Mw to the national grid and also boost supply of electricity to territory.

    The power sector privatisation in 2013 resulted in the splitting of the assets of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) into the six power generation companies (GenCos) and 11 power distribution companies (DisCos). The development culminated in the application of embedded power plants by the DisCos to improve power supply to some areas.

  • ‘Over N5 billion lost to public asset vandals, damages’

    …As FCTA moves to restore vandalized assets

     

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has lamented the huge burden posed by the vandalism of public assets and critical infrastructure, which it has estimated to run into billions of Naira.

    FCTA while decrying public amnesia towards public assets, which it said, emboldens the hoodlums, expressed readiness to leverage the very wide network of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the concerted action to stem the ugly trend.

    FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello revealed this in a paper he presented at a recent stakeholder conference on the Protection, Preservation and Community Ownership of Public Assets and Critical Infrastructure, organized by the National Orientation Agency.

    Bello who was represented at the occasion by the Director of Engineering, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Shehu Ahmad Hadi, lamented that preliminary assessment of losses put the cost of replacement of vandalized, stolen or damaged facilities in the four major roads of FCT alone at over N5 billion.

    This, he noted, is money which could have been spent on executing new infrastructure or providing utilities in new districts.

    These include; the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) as well as the Circular Road among others.

    Concerned over the spate of sabotage and pillage therefore, Bello disclosed that FCT Administration has set up a Committee for the replacement, reconstruction and restoration of vandalized public assets and infrastructure in the Territory.

    The Committee, which is headed by the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, is also to ascertain the scope of the challenge and to proffer long-lasting solutions to stem the negative development.

    According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, the minister said: “it is always saddening to witness incidents of pillage of major components of public infrastructure such as railway lines and cables, bridge railings, manhole covers and communication ducts to mention but a few. These hoodlums sometimes dig deep into the ground to unearth armoured cables and puncture water pipelines to irrigate their farms or set up car wash centres.”

    He disclosed that in the short run, security and surveillance have been beefed up around public assets and critical infrastructure in the FCT to apprehend and prosecute these hoodlums.

    In addition, the Administration is replacing some of these facilities with configurations that could not easily yield to hit and run theft among others.

    While appealing for to residents to support the Administration’s efforts to combat this scourge, the Minister stated that a more permanent solution to the problem both in FCT and in the country in general would include working to inculcate the spirit of community and people’s ownership of public assets and critical infrastructure in Nigerian citizens.

    His words, “This could be achieved through strategic partnership between relevant government agencies, the security and intelligent agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), traditional institutions, religious and community organizations to mention but a few.”

    In his keynote paper at the occasion, former Director-General of NOA, Chief Tonnie Iredia, stressed the need to take the people into confidence in the conception, planning and location of public assets and infrastructure.

    He noted that the bane of the fortunes of these infrastructures has more to do with the alienation of the communities where these facilities were located.

    He further noted that the people’s felt needs and priorities should always be taken into consideration in siting public assets and projects.

    Other speakers present were former Directors-General of NOA, Dr Idi Farouk, and Mr. Mike Omeri; all of whom stressed the need to strengthen the institutional framework of NOA as a major agency for the cultivation of attitudinal change among Nigerians.

    Welcoming guests to event, The Director-General, NOA, Dr. Garba Abari, stated that the wide-spread nature of the incidence of vandalism of national assets like oil pipelines, railway tracks, electricity poles and components has made it necessary to assemble stakeholders in the search for solutions to the menace.

    He expressed optimism that the conference would come up with workable measures to stem the ugly trend.

  • Court orders FCT minister to issue certified C of O to housewife

    Court orders FCT minister to issue certified C of O to housewife

    An FCT High Court on Friday ordered the FCT minister to issue a Certified Certificate of Occupancy to a housewife, Mrs Habiba Abdullahi.

    Abdullahi, filed a suit filed against the FCT minister, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Its Effiong, over a land located in Katampe district of the FCT.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Affen,also ordered a perpetual injunction restraining the FCT minister and the FCDA or their agents from revoking or relocating to any other person or persons right of occupancy to the said land.

    Justice Affen held that the defendants refused to provide evidence showing that they are not the ones who allocated the land to the plaintiff.

    “ In the absence of any valid art of revocation I can not but hold that the plaintiff land title remains intact.

    “There is no gain saying that the minister has the statutory right to allocate or reallocate land in FCT but there must be evidence of revocation of a land before it is reallocated.

    “The law as I have always understood it, where there exist two rights of occupancy granted to different persons in respect to one land, the former is valid while the later invalid according to the Land Use Act” he held.

    He held that at the course of proceedings that the first defendant through his witness told the court that the title document did not emanate from the first defendant.

    Adding that the witness attested to the features of offer and acceptance letter are the same as the one from the minister but the paper textures are not.

    “The first defendant witness acknowledged that the plaintiff was allocated with the said land and was issued an acknowledged land certificate of occupancy dated July 4, 2003 and also a demand for ground rent statutory right of occupancy.

    “There is absolutely no bases for the court to come to a conclusion that those documents which appear genuine are true ” he held.

    He noted that three years after the plaintiff submitted her title document before demanding and receiving payment of ground rate and right of occupancy fee, only for the defendants to turn round and disavow the offer.

    “By claiming that their was no ministerial approval and proceed to relocate the land”

    He held that there was nothing placed before the court to show that the said land was validly revoked.

    ` It is thereby ordered that the plaintiff right of occupancy of the said land remains valid and subsist.

    “The court declared that the purported right of occupancy granted to the third defendant by the first defendant remains null and void.

    “An order that the first and second defendants issue the plaintiff with a certified certificate of occupancy over the said land ” he ordered.

  • FCT health sector renders 2017 scorecard

    FCT health sector renders 2017 scorecard

    The FCT Health and Human Service Secretariat ( HHSS ), on Wednesday said that its subsidiary, the Private Health Establishment Registration and Monitoring Committee ( PHERMC ), has generated more than N60 million in 2017.

    Mrs Amanda Pam, the Secretary, HHSS, disclosed this while rendering the HHSS 2017 scorecard at its end of year media briefing in Abuja.

    The HHSS is a mandate secretariat of the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA ).

    Its functions include provision of medical and hospital services, health policy formulation and planning, regulation and oversight functions for all private medical service providers and manpower development.

    Pam said that a total of 122 private health facilities were registered and issued provisional registration certificates in the course of the year.

    She said that 666 inspections were conducted in 220 private health care facilities in all the area councils in the FCT.

    According to Pam, the deployment of electronic medical records system is currently in six of the 13 public secondary health facilities, representing 46 per cent of the FCTA hospitals.

    “The FCT HHSS has developed the FCT 2017 – 2021 strategic development plan along with all the 36 states of the federation.

    “We have achieved results in primary health care service delivery in underserved communities of the FCT, through the Saving of One Million Lives Programme,’’ she said.

    The HHSS scribe said the secretariat also commenced clinical activities in two hospitals; namely Karu General Hospital and Zuba Cottage Hospital.

    She said that accreditation was secured for the Asokoro and Bwari General Hospitals for residency training in Ophthalmology from the West African College of Surgeon.

    “Two primary health care facilities were reconstructed, equipped and put to use in Gbaupe, Jikoko of Kuje and Bwari Area Councils, respectively,’’ Pam said.

    The scribe however listed the challenges confronting HHSS to include over-dependence on donor support for FCT HIV/AIDS response.

    “The fact that there still were no legislation on the Primary Healthcare Board Establishment, FCT School of Nursing and Midwifery Act was also a challenge,’’ she said.

    According to her, other pending legislations are the Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of FCT Health Insurance Scheme and other Matters and the FCT Hospital Management Board Establishment Bill.

    Besides, the HHSS scribe listed inadequate manpower attrition, overstretched healthcare facilities and inadequate funding as other major challenges confronting the secretariat.

    She said that staff employment would be visited in line with budgetary provision for 2017.

    Pam added that the secretariat would also source for replacement of old and substandard equipment for the hospitals.

  • Falana sues FCDA for N100m over manhole accident

    Falana sues FCDA for N100m over manhole accident

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has sued the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) at the High Court in Abuja over failure to cover up manholes on Abuja streets.

    Falana said he fell into one of such manholes and sustained severe injury.

    He is praying for an order directing the defendant to pay him N100million as general damages.

    He also sought a declaration that the defendant was negligent and failed to ensure his safety.

    The SAN claimed that on October 27, while walking on Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama District, Abuja, he fell into an uncovered manhole which had no inscription around it to caution road users, especially pedestrians.

    He prayed the court to hold that the FCDA’s negligence led to the accident which caused a severe sprain on his right knee.

    Falana sought an order directing the defendant to close up all uncovered manholes in the FCT.

    He also wants the defendant to pay him N209, 580.00 as specific damages.

    Falana said: “The defendant owes all road users including the plaintiff a duty of care by ensuring that the roads within the Federal Capital Territory are safe for all road users.

    “The defendant ought to know that leaving a manhole open in the middle of the road was dangerous for all road users, especially pedestrians. The defendant owes the plaintiff a duty of care to ensure his safety while walking on Sheu Shagari Way, Maitama District, Abuja.

    “The failure of the defendant to exercise reasonable care for the safety of road users especially pedestrians by covering the manhole in the middle of the road caused the accident leading to the severe sprain the ‘plaintiff suffered on his right knee.”

    Falana added that he was in “severe and excruciating pain” when the accident occurred.