Tag: FCTA

The Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) in partnership with Platinum X Art and Media Ltd is set to organise ‘Abuja I Believe Carnival 2024.”

The Convener of the carnival and the MD/CEO of Platinum X Art and Media Ltd, Omoefe Tawiyah, said the carnival is aimed at showcasing Nigeria’s diversity, raising national consciousness, instilling pride and patriotism, and promoting domestic tourism, investment, wealth, and job creation.

According to him, the carnival will hold between November 7 and 11, 2024.

Tawiyah said the event was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, along with other government agencies and parastatals.

He said the carnival will bring a fresh ray of hope to Nigerians by presenting the country’s great tourism and entertainment industries while building togetherness, pride, and patriotism.

“It also aims to promote peace, reduce crime, eliminate inequality, provide employment opportunities, increase skilled employees, improve social amenities, and eliminate communal problems,” he stated.

He added that the carnival aims to provide an amazing holiday experience in Abuja, promoting Nigeria’s immense tourism potential, cultural harmony, and unique rhythms.

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 “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself has emphasised the call for a joint effort to tackle societal challenges, urging us to extend our support networks beyond official channels.

Tawiyah also said there will be “a carnival village that will feature food and drinks; art exhibitions; kids arena; games; networking and parties; photo shoot: live quiz with attractive prizes; raffle draw with amazing prizes; loads of giveaways and marketplace.”

The Special Assistant on Medical Tourism to the Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, Kelvin Ikegwuonu, called on media houses to publicise the carnival, adding that the ministry would give its full support to ensure its success.

…distributes 10 tractors, 140 power tillers to farmers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday, July 2, pledged its commitment to providing all that is required through the relevant Secretariat, Departments, and Agencies of the FCT Administration, to boost food production and national food security.

FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, gave this commitment during the commissioning of projects, agricultural machinery, and distribution of agricultural inputs to Community Interest Groups (CIGs) under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project.

The minister noted that the (ACReSAL) project is a World Bank-supported programme that sought to enhance community resilience against climate change and enhance the livelihoods of communities in the 19 Northern states of Nigeria and the FCT.

Mahmoud also noted that the FCT has grappled with the devastating consequences of large-scale land degradation for 48 years, resulting from rapid infrastructural development leading to substantial loss of its precious tree covers.

However, she said: “The coming onstream of the ACReSAL with its bold and ambitious land restoration initiatives targeting the reclamation of over 10,000 hectares of degraded land in the Territory is a welcome development.

“I would like to assure you that this endeavour has the full backing of the FCT Administration. We are committed to providing all that is required through the relevant Secretariats, Departments, and Agencies of the FCT Administration to ensure the success of this worthy initiative”.

Mahmoud added: “Ultimately, our goal is to secure a brighter future for our citizens, where their livelihoods and wellbeing are protected and enhanced, and we believe that ACReSAL is a critical step towards achieving this vision”.

The minister further noted that the agricultural sector, which was the mainstay of the nation’s economy, has been the most severely affected by climate change’s devastating impacts.

According to her: “This alarming situation not only impacts negatively on national food security but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of millions of people, exacerbating poverty and vulnerability.

“It is against this backdrop that the FCT Administration since joining ACReSAL in 2022, has demonstrated total commitment to the project as evidenced in its active engagement and participation in all ACReSAL programmes towards harnessing the resources that we are blessed with for the betterment and wellbeing of Abuja residents”.

Mahmoud said the event was a strategic response to one of the most pressing challenges faced by farmers, which was mainly the lack of access to critical agricultural inputs and limited knowledge of sustainable landscape management practices.

“It is our hope that this support will build farmers resilience (ACReSAL) and their capacities to contribute meaningfully to food security and sustainable development in the FCT,” she stressed.

In his address, the Mandate Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Hon. Lawan Kolo Geidam, said over the past two years the ACReSAL project, has made concerted efforts to put all the required structures in place to ensure the smooth implementation of the project in the FCT.

Read Also: FCTA orders demolition of building at Guzape over structural defects

Geidam used the occasion to reveal that apart from commissioning some of these projects and modern agricultural machinery which consists of 10 tractors and 140 power tillers, the administration would be distributing very critical agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, improved seedlings, and agro-chemicals to farmers.

“Also earmarked for distribution today, are 3 utility vehicles to be handed over to various institutions as part of ACReSAL’s institutional strengthening initiative aimed at enhancing their capacities to serve our communities better in activities that align with the project development objectives of ACReSA,” he affirmed.

The high point of the event was the commissioning of the Women Casava Processing Centre, one of the eight solar-powered boreholes that have been constructed in eight communities to provide much-needed access to potable water for daily living and agricultural activities.

A building belonging to Nicholas Ukachukwu Praco Ltd Estate located at Plot 458 Guzape District Abuja has been demolished.

It was said that the building had some structural defects.

A passer-by who noticed the defect had alerted the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Department, (FEMD) who arrived the incident scene with members of the Asokoro Divisional Police Command.

They made their observations known to the owner of the property, who agreed to demolish the structure, which he did immediately.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Head Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa: “There was no loss of lives and no one was trapped in the building.

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FEMD rescue team, Development Control, the Asokoro Divisional Police Command, the FCT Fire Service, NEMA and FCT Red Cross were on ground at the incident scene.

“Meanwhile, the Director, Department of Development Control, TPL Mukhtar U. Galadima, has directed the sealing up of the premises and engaged the Nigeria Building and Roads Research Institute (NBRRI) to conduct integrity test on all the buildings under construction within plots 454 AND 458 Guzape District, being developed by the same company”.

Also speaking, the Ag Director General of FEMD, Mrs Florence Wenegieme appealed to developers and individuals to observe building codes at all times.

She also urged developers to always carry out integrity test on existing buildings before carrying out renovations.

The Ag DG underscored the importance of employing professionals, as well as the provision of protective wears for workers to ensure safety on the site.

She also appealed to developers to provide insurance coverage for both the building and workers on site.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the demolition of 500 illegal structures at the popular Karmu market along the road corridor of Kado-Karmo-Gwagwa.

The demolition was carried out through the Department of Development Control.

Director, Department of Development Control, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Tpl Muktar Galadima, who led the operation, told reporters that the exercise became necessary to ensure smooth movement and tackle insecurity on the axis.

Galadima, who was represented by an Assistant Deputy Director in the department, Garba JiJibrin, said: “What we are trying to do is to open the road corridor for Karmo -Deidei road corridor, which has been having a lot of bottlenecks for years.

“There has been gridlock on this road which has been a big problem for motorists and Abuja residents.

“The FCT Minister, therefore ordered for the opening of the road corridor and to ensure that all the bottlenecks along the road are cleared and part of it is the informal commercial activities.

“It is a known fact that anyone that wants to pass this road on a market day is so difficult that you spend hours just passing the road. By this, the FCT Minister was concerned about the safety of residents who are making use of the road corridor.

There is a market that has been opened and fully completed and waiting for occupation by residents in this area, saying: “We have already told them that they should move away from the road corridor and move into the new market space that has been provided for them”.

Read Also: FCTA dislodges over 1,000 illegal occupants

He stressed that the FCT Administration, being mindful of the high costs of shops, decided to allow the free usage of the market for one year, alongside other palliatives to make the shops accessible.

Reacting to allegations by some of the victims that they were not notified, Galadima refuted: “The market users were fully sensitized and notified about their relocating to the market space provided for them.

“The management has met with all the stakeholders -the market operators, traditional rulers and developers. In fact, the Director has visited them on more than three occasions and even delayed the demolition of this market.

“The Director also brought them to see things on the ground, and two days ago, we gave them 24-hour notice and now we are here after 48 hours.”

Also speaking, Secretary of Command and Control Unit, Dr. Peter Olumuji corroborated that insecurity, which was a major challenge in the area, would be a thing of the past.

He said: “Karmo has been on the ground. A lot of illegalities are seriously going on in this area. And if you look at the road corridor, there are lots of shanties and a lot of criminals are hibernating and at night a lot of them come out to commit crimes and criminal activities.

“What we are doing here in collaboration with Development Control is to clear the road corridor which will reduce the crime rate in this area. And it would bring a new lease of life to residents in this area.

“The Minister is committed to the security and safety of every resident in Abuja and he has assured the residents that you can reside anywhere as long as it is legal without any fear or concern.”

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has dislodged over 1000 miscreants on the corridor of the inner Northern Parkway, off Abidjan Street in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.

The AMMC coordinator, Felix Obuah, told reporters after the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, May 8, that the move was part of efforts to clear all shanties in the city.

The shanties were built over 27 years ago.

They have been demolished several times but are rebuilt by the occupants.

Obuah said the location was preserved for a road corridor but was illegally occupied by unknown people, posing a security threat, and defacing the beauty of the city.

He said: “Also disturbing is that criminals and miscreants have made this location a haven.

“So, we decided to come and clear all the shanties and remove the criminals that have taken over the road corridor to give Abuja its desired beauty.

“We can’t allow this again. Our aim is to beautify the city and make Abuja a city we will all be proud of”.

He added that a task force would be set up to make sure that none of the illegal occupants and rebuild any shanty in the area again.

Obuah also announced plans to relocate the occupants to a permanent location to ensure that no one returns.

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He further said: “We are going to write a memo to the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to seek his approval and see how far we can go about the relocation plan.

“From what we can see, there are a huge number of people illegally residing here. So, if we can relocate them within a very short possible time, they will come back here again.

“We are also going to make provisions to make sure that they do not suffer undue hardship.

“You see, some of the occupants are very young; some with children, and out of my pocket, I have donated a small amount of money to enable them to relocate immediately.

“If we don’t take this measure now, they will go to another place and create a nuisance.”

Responding to the development, Malam Mohammed Musa, the chairman of the community, also said the area was occupied by about 1000 people, including women and children.

Musa said that the occupants, predominantly dry-season farmers, have been there for about 27 years, with some made up of 15 family members.

He acknowledged receiving notice of the demolition and thanked the government for allowing them to stay there for over 27 years, making a living in dry-season farming.

He, however, called on the FCT Administration to come to their aid, adding that some of them were displaced from their home by bandits and other forms of insecurity.

•Explains how unpainted cars can operate in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has impounded over 20 vehicles following the pockets of insecurity in the nation’s capital.   

 The administration also gave explanations on how owners of private cars can use them for taxi services without having to paint such vehicles.

 This contrasts the belief that only owners of painted taxes are legally permitted to ply their trade in the nation’s capital.

 Those interested in using their vehicles for commercial purposes were, however, told to go through laid down procedures.

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 Some of the processes include proper registration of private cars with relevant bodies and the acquisition of unique identification and vehicle plate numbers for the vehicles.

 Head of Operations, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Deborah Osho said this during a clampdown on illegal taxi operators in Abuja on Friday.

 Osho disclosed that about twenty vehicles were impounded during the operations which took place in Area 3, Apo Interchange under the bridge and the Three Arms Zone, saying the defaulting drivers would face mobile court for prosecution.

 She frowned at indiscriminate motor parks in the city and warned operators to use only designated parking lots to pick up and drop passengers.

 She said: “DRTS has a scheme called e-hailing, under which you have Uber and Bolt, among others.

 “You will have a unique number plate that will be given to you. Your vehicle may not be painted but you are registered with NIMC and DRTS, and there is no way you can be involved in one chance because we and other relevant agencies will have your data.

 “If you want to be a taxi driver, be a driver with painted taxis, and if you want to be an e-hailing driver, go through the processes and get a unique number plate, where you will be seen. You can now not paint your vehicles, but we have all your details, all your data with us, which we can use to trace you in the event of any eventualities.”

 Continuing, she warned: “If you cannot go through that process to become an e-hailing driver, then you choose to do other business.”

 Earlier, the Secretary, Command and Control Unit, FCTA Department of Security Services, Dr. Peter Olumuji reiterated the commitment of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh to securing lives and property in the FCT.

 Olumuji, who noted that security in the FCT has improved tremendously, assured that the government would not relent in its efforts, by not laying down its guards owing to economic hardships but would rather strengthen practices to ensure provision of security in the FCT.

The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said crushing seized commercial motorcycles remained the best option to address insecurity in Abuja.

The Directorate’s Head of Operations, Mrs. Deborah Osho, stated this on Thursday during routine operations to impound commercial motorcycles operating illegally in the FCT.

Osho argued that fines, as alternative to crushing the impounded “Okada”, would not solve the problem, considering that even when the motorcycles were being crushed; the operators were still violating the ban.

She added: “the fine doesn’t work again. We are looking for a stiffer penalty to make sure we rid the city of the menace of Okada operators.

“There are plans for other punitive measures to address the menace, and we will make it public when concluded.

“As long as Okada operators continue to violate the ban on operating within the city, we will continue to pick them up”.

She insisted that all impounded motorcycles would be crushed.

In his remarks, Dr. Peter Olumuji, the Secretary, Command and Control Centre, FCTA Department of Security Services, said the operation will continue day and night.

Olumuji explained that the exercise followed residents’ outcry on the continued menace of commercial motorcycle operators in the city.

He said: “Residents have been complaining about the nefarious activities of commercial motorcyclists, who are banned from operating in the capital city.

“The Okada riders have been operating in the city, disobeying traffic regulations and perpetuating all kinds of criminalities.

“A lot of people have been attacked by the operators, especially at night.”

The secretary also agreed with the position of DRTS that crushing impounded motorcycles remained the best option for now.

According to him, the measure will discourage the public from misunderstanding government actions and intentions.

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He added that if the “Okadas” were not publicly crushed, people would begin to question the genuineness of the impoundment exercise with endless allegations.

He, however, said that “DRTS does not crush without a Crushing Order from the court.”

Olumuji also refuted the allegation that the motorcycles distributed to security agencies to fight crime in rural communities were part of the impounded ones.

He explained that the distributed motorcycles were procured by the FCT Administration and commended residents for supporting security agencies to rid the city of the menace of Okada.

He urged residents to report their security concerns to relevant authorities.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has shut down the popular Wuse market following Tuesday’s riot and fire outbreak.

But no official statement was issued on the closure of the market.

Findings revealed that FCTA closed the market to gather detailed report and assessment of what happened and to carry out some renovations. 

Affected traders have been counting their losses.

Mary Obiorah, who spoke with our correspondent, said she sells clothes and all of them were burnt to ashes.

She said It was painful she lost everything to the inferno.

Another trader who sells watches, Ibrahim Sule, said he was still in shock over what happened.

Sule said: “I will be happy if the government can assist those that were affected. It has not been easy since I lost everything to the fire incident”. 

The situation around the market is tense,l as some angry persons who refused to leave were seen discussing.

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Security operatives, especially officers of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen at the entrance and around the market trying to maintain law and order. 

The Nation had reported how angry youths set parts of the popular market on fire after a correctional officer allegedly shot a 17-year-old hawker dead inside the market.

According to the information, the victim who was being tried at the mobile court in the market, had attempted to run away but was allegedly shot and killed by a prison Warden.

The office of the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) inside the market and some vehicles parked at the car park were affected by the fire.