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Tag: Federal Capital Territory Administration

  • Nigerians set to take over Abuja Lightrail from Chinese

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced series of intensive technical training for staff who are integral part of Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) operations team.

    The  training is part of the arrangements for full take -over of the management of the ARMT otherwise known as Abuja Lightrail, when the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) currently jointly managing it exits the system in the next two and half years.

    Speaking at the opening of the training in Idu on Monday, Assistant Director, Engr. Mustapha Mallumbi, FCT Transportation Secretariat, said the essence of the training was for members of the FCT Rail operations staff to boost their knowledge base of the system.

    Mallumbi added that the training organised by CCECC will improve the safety of the rail system and patronage.

    He disclosed that according to the plan, in the next two and half years to come, ARMT system, designed to cover the entire FCT and environs, which is over two hundred and thirty plus kilo meters, spread into six lots, will fully be in the hands of the locals.

    “So far, what we have done is only lot 1A, Lot 3 that’s about 45km, which covers the city centre through Idu to Airport; and from Idu to Kubwa,” he stressed.

    Deputy General Manager, Rail Operations Department, CCECC Nigeria Ltd, Tom Tang, said the training was core part of the arrangements for the technical transfer of ARMT operations and management to the local staff, to let them master all the necessary skills and knowledge to completely manage it.

    He said after the training which will last for three months, more will follow.

    According to him: “We have a lot of equipment in the system which the local staff needed to know how to operate and manage effectively.”

  • ‘Uniform youth groups’ll curb crime’

    To ensure reduction of social vices among young people, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed plans to resuscitate uniform youth organisations in all public and private schools in the nation’s capital.

    Acting Director, Youth Development Department of the Social Development Secretariat (SDS), Hajarat Titilayo Alayande, who disclosed this, described such platform as the best instrument to tackle crime.

    Alayande who spoke at the 2019 National camp of National Association of Uniform Voluntary Youth Organisations in Abuja, said the measure would help redirect young people to embracing positive ways of life.  “Uniform Voluntary Youth Organisations are in the business of instilling discipline in youth people. We will encourage all young people to belong to the uniform youth organisations, anyone they find interesting.

    “So, we are going to collaborate with the FCT Education Secretariat, in order to ensure resuscitation of Uniform youth organizations in all public and private schools in FCT.

    “Because, we feel that it is the best instrument to reduce social vices among young people. It ensures that we have coordinated activities around the uniform youth groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

    “And we are still going to encourage them further to establish such activities within their neighbourhoods, so as to support conventional security agencies. We want to inculcate the volunteering spirit especially in the youth.

    “We need total re-orientation of the youth, to enable us address issues of drugs abuse, violence, kidnapping killings, gangsterism affecting our youth, so we want to put them back on track,” she stressed.

    Acting Secretary of SDS, Hajiya Safiya Umar, described the programme as very significant to the advancement of youth in FCT and Nigeria at large.

    Umar decried that today’s youth are not shown the way to be fully involved in volunteerism, hence they have continued to look for what to do, which has led to the all social vices in the society.

    She noted that when youth are completely engaged meaningfully, it will help remove redundancy, laziness and helplessness.

    She said, “The youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and we need to build them; we need to rekindle activities such as volunteerism back to the society so that the youth will feel belonged, inclusive of all, to enable them give their best.

    “Volunteerism is a sure way to start thinking what to do contribute to the society, because youth will now channel their youthful energies into during certain things that will be beneficial to the society.”

    On his part, Coordinator, National Association of Uniform Voluntary Youth Organizations, Abraham Kwaghfan, said the Association has a basic aim of bringing all youth together for a common goal.

    He revealed that the Association organised 2019 National camp with the theme: “Volunteerism, the role of uniform voluntary youth organisation in Nigeria,” in partnership with SDS Department of Youth, security and forensic studies of Nigeria and national youth council of Nigeria.

  • FCT Area councils get N2.6b

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disbursed the sum of N2.6 billion to the six Area Councils in the FCT and other stakeholders as its share of statutory allocation for the month of January.

    FCT Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa disclosed this in his office during the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC), meeting.

    According to a statement issued by Tony Odey, Press Secretary, FCT Permanent Secretary’s office, Ohaa charged the Council Chairmen to ensure the monies are used for payment of staff’s salaries and infrastructural development of their respective domains.

    Read also: FCTA to employ 500 health workers

    Dwelling more on payment of workers’ salaries, the Permanent Secretary explained that prompt payment of salaries boosts electoral fortunes for political players in view of the ripple effects it creates.

    The breakdown of the allocation shows that Gwagwalada Area Council received the largest sum of N226 million while Abuja Municipal Area Council got N221 million and Abaji Area Council received N183 million.

    Similarly, Kuje Area Council got N167 million, while Bwari Area Council received N164 million and Kwali Area Council received N154 million.

    Furthermore, primary school teachers gulped N1.2 billion, 15 % pension funds took N226 million, while 1% training and 10% employer pension contribution gulped N107million.

  • FCTA to employ 500 health workers

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that it would employ 500 health professionals to improve service delivery to residents and visitors of the Territory.

    Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Abubakar Bappah dropped this hint during inspection of FCTA hospitals and other health facilities in Kubwa General Hospital.

    The Secretary revealed this while responding to requests on employment of more staff for the hospitals, a request that was also made by all the generally hospitals visited by the Secretary and his teams, with a special request for priority to be given to locum or casual staff already rendering services to the hospitals.

    Bappah who disclosed that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has already given the Secretariat go ahead to employ, however, appealed for patience from job seekers, explaining that not all of them from the FCTA’s 14 hospitals would be absorbed because their number was quite high. He added that other Nigerians too would be considered.

    On the abandoned accidents and emergency unit in Bwari General Hospital, Bappah said he relied on a suggestion from Head of Works, Hospital Management Board, Effiong Ita to revoke and re-award the project, adding that the earlier contractor died.

    He directed that representatives of the late contractor be called for a meeting with the view to revoking and reawarding it.

    In all the hospitals that requested expansion and acquisition of modern facilities to shore up service delivery, the Secretary pointed out that most of the hospitals lacked space for expansion, promised that the Administration would consult with appropriate authorities with a view to expanding the structures.

    Bappah also paid homage to traditional leaders of Bwari: Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Musa Ijakoro II, and Esu of Bwari, Ibrahim D. Yaro (JP), and solicited their cooperation and support for government hospitals within their domain, which they all obliged and promised to sensitise their subjects on the need to visit only hospitals for treatment and births.

    The team never had it tough until it got to the palace of the Agaba of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa. The fearless and flamboyant royal father who does not mince words, almost scolded the team and the FCT Administration, accusing them of abandoning his ancient chiefdom in the provision of basic amenities, especially health facility.

    The royal father urged the FCTA to provide his area with at least a secondary hospital.

    He said, “It is a shame that as a polio ambassador, I do not have any hospital within my domain. My people are dying, our women and children are dying, and the government is not doing anything. Look at the access road, in case of emergency, how can anyone survive in trying to access Kubwa or Gwarinpa general hospitals.

    “And this is where you have the international timber and building materials market and others. Railway is just 5km away from here.”

    Speaking on plans by the FCTA to relocate him, the royal father warned: “Then you want us to move to where? It will be anarchy because there will be problems between us and the people already living where you want to take us to. We are not going anywhere. We want integration”.

    According to rhe traditiinal leader, lack of government healtj facility within his area has been responsible for proliferation of quack health personnel such as pharmacists, medicine stores and even medical doctors, whom apart from worsening his people’s health conditions, carry abortions, which sometimes led to death.

    The traditional ruler also regretted that Jiwa chiefdom which dates back to 1450 and has a clinic which was established in 1944, but has not been improved upon and has become grossly inadequate due to population increase.

    The royal father therefore tasked the Secretary to quickly apprehend and punish, particulrly the two identified offenders in Jiwa, one of whom the Agaba revealed was suspected to be the same one who disappeared from Kwali and  ran to Jiwa to continue his quack practice when authorities clamped down on such illegal practice there, following an earlier tip of from the Etsu of Kwali, Dr. Shaban Audu Nizazo III during a recent visit.

    The Secretary therefore directed the relevant authority to investigate, fish out and punish the offenders accordingly.

    While responding, Bappah pledged: “Your requests will be looked into with all seriousness”, adding that he would table same, and those of other traditional rulers and medical directors, to the FCT Minister for further action.

    Bappah also commissioned a newly constructed pharmacy unit at Gwarinpa General Hospital and charged the staff to continue to support the medical directors in the delivery of health care service to the people.

  • FCTA to employ 500 health workers

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that it would employ 500 health professionals to improve service delivery to residents and visitors of the Territory.

    Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Abubakar Bappah dropped this hint during inspection of FCTA hospitals and other health facilities in Kubwa General Hospital.

    The Secretary revealed this while responding to requests on employment of more staff for the hospitals, a request that was also made by all the generally hospitals visited by the Secretary and his teams, with a special request for priority to be given to locum or casual staff already rendering services to the hospitals.

    Bappah who disclosed that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has already given the Secretariat go ahead to employ, however, appealed for patience from job seekers, explaining that not all of them from the FCTA’s 14 hospitals would be absorbed because their number was quite high. He added that other Nigerians too would be considered.

    On the abandoned accidents and emergency unit in Bwari General Hospital, Bappah said he relied on a suggestion from Head of Works, Hospital Management Board, Effiong Ita to revoke and re-award the project, adding that the earlier contractor died.

    He directed that representatives of the late contractor be called for a meeting with the view to revoking and reawarding it.

    In all the hospitals that requested expansion and acquisition of modern facilities to shore up service delivery, the Secretary pointed out that most of the hospitals lacked space for expansion, promised that the Administration would consult with appropriate authorities with a view to expanding the structures.

    Bappah also paid homage to traditional leaders of Bwari: Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Musa Ijakoro II, and Esu of Bwari, Ibrahim D. Yaro (JP), and solicited their cooperation and support for government hospitals within their domain, which they all obliged and promised to sensitise their subjects on the need to visit only hospitals for treatment and births.

    The team never had it tough until it got to the palace of the Agaba of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa. The fearless and flamboyant royal father who does not mince words, almost scolded the team and the FCT Administration, accusing them of abandoning his ancient chiefdom in the provision of basic amenities, especially health facility.

    The royal father urged the FCTA to provide his area with at least a secondary hospital.

    He said, “It is a shame that as a polio ambassador, I do not have any hospital within my domain. My people are dying, our women and children are dying, and the government is not doing anything. Look at the access road, in case of emergency, how can anyone survive in trying to access Kubwa or Gwarinpa general hospitals.

    “And this is where you have the international timber and building materials market and others. Railway is just 5km away from here.”

    Speaking on plans by the FCTA to relocate him, the royal father warned: “Then you want us to move to where? It will be anarchy because there will be problems between us and the people already living where you want to take us to. We are not going anywhere. We want integration”.

    According to rhe traditiinal leader, lack of government healtj facility within his area has been responsible for proliferation of quack health personnel such as pharmacists, medicine stores and even medical doctors, whom apart from worsening his people’s health conditions, carry abortions, which sometimes led to death.

    The traditional ruler also regretted that Jiwa chiefdom which dates back to 1450 and has a clinic which was established in 1944, but has not been improved upon and has become grossly inadequate due to population increase.

    The royal father therefore tasked the Secretary to quickly apprehend and punish, particulrly the two identified offenders in Jiwa, one of whom the Agaba revealed was suspected to be the same one who disappeared from Kwali and  ran to Jiwa to continue his quack practice when authorities clamped down on such illegal practice there, following an earlier tip of from the Etsu of Kwali, Dr. Shaban Audu Nizazo III during a recent visit.

    The Secretary therefore directed the relevant authority to investigate, fish out and punish the offenders accordingly.

    While responding, Bappah pledged: “Your requests will be looked into with all seriousness”, adding that he would table same, and those of other traditional rulers and medical directors, to the FCT Minister for further action.

    Bappah also commissioned a newly constructed pharmacy unit at Gwarinpa General Hospital and charged the staff to continue to support the medical directors in the delivery of health care service to the people.

  • Govt moves to tackle challenges in hospitals

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has called on FCT residents to always visit its hospitals to seek medical services, instead of going to herbalists and prayer warriors for medical attention.

    Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Abubakar Bappah made this call while at Kwali General Hospital inspecting the condition of FCT health facilities, last week.

    The Secretary explained that the tour of the facilities was to enable the FCTA fix all challenges facing them.

    The Secretary and his team made up of the MD Health Management Board, Dr. Aminu Mai and other directors of the secretariat, visited general hospitals in Rubochi, Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Zuba, where they inspected facilities and interacted with the Medical Directors of the hospitals and other health workers.

    The team also paid homage to traditional rulers and appealed to them to sensitize those under their domain, particularly Rubochi residents, to always visit the hospitals, instead of seeking solution to their health challenges with herbalists and prayer warriors.

    Abuja Review gathered that, all the hospitals visited generally complained about similar problems, ranging from lack of constant power and water supply, inadequate staffing, and insufficient accommodation to irregular posting of staff, and overpopulation, among others.

    However, while other hospitals needed expansion to accommodate more patients, the Medical Director of Rubochi General Hospital, Dr. Ita Edim decried lack of patronage from members of the community, adding that the hospital also has a challenge constant power supply.

    The secretary therefore visited and appealed to traditional rulers, especially the Sa Rubochi, Ibrahim Mohammed Pada and the Agape of Ugbada, Hussaini Agabi Mam, to convince their subjects to visit the hospital for treatment of illnesses and delivery of babies, instead of seeking health care from prayer houses and herbalists.

    The duo who responded separately, pledged to sensitise their people to patronise Rubochi Hospital, even as they seized the opportunity to appeal to the secretary to consider their people for employment in sensitive positions, not only in the hospital, but also in other organs of the FCT Administration, adding that such a gesture would give the people a better sense of belonging.

    Apart from the General Hospitals of Abaji, Kwali, Kuje and Zuba, which were visited and inspected, all the major traditional rulers of these areas were also visited, their cooperation and understanding sought in ensuring the successes of the health facilities.

    The secretary, while commissioned an administrative block at the Kwali General Hospital praised its MD, Dr.Halima Bello for inovation and advised other medical directors to toe her path of excellence.

    Accordingly, the Ona of Abaji, Adamu Baba Yunusa; Etsu of Kwali, Shaban Audu Nizazo III; Gomo of Kuje, Haruna Jubrin Tanko; Agora of Zuba, Aliyu Mohammed Ringim and the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Mohammed Magaji who was represented by the Hakimi (district head) of Gwagwalada, Muhammmadu Lakayi.

    While noting that Abaji was a major gate into the FCT and shares boundary with other States, the Ona requested for the upgrading of the Abaji General Hospital to a medical centre to enable it carter for the huge demand for health services occassioned by population increase and accidents on the expressway.

    His Zuba counterpart, Mohammed Ringim, thanked the FCTA for heeding their requests for upgrading the hitherto Zuba cottage hospital to its present general gospital status, and appealed for further expansion of the institution, owing to influx of people to the area due to its position as a boundary town.

    Bappah also expressed satisfaction with the cleanliness and maintenance of facilities at the Zuba hospital, and promised to assist the hospital to get certification from NAFDAC for a drug (Methylated spirit) produced by this young hospital.

    Just like the other chiefs, they also requested for special consideration of their subjects for employment as workers in the hospitals and other bodies of the administration.

    At the FCT Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Gwagwalada, the team was greeted with a myriad of challenges similar to those of the hospitals, including lack of enabling law for the establishment of the twin schools, inadequate hostel accommodation, absolate equipment, lack of training and 50: 50 sharing formula for the two schools, instead of the present ratio of 3:1, which represents 75: 25 percent.

    The two schools also requested that sale of forms for entrance examinations should be domiciled with the institution, not the FCTA; promotion of staff should be handled directly by the Health Secretariat, instead of the Health Management Board, among others.

    The principals, Dambatta Binta Bello (Midwifery) and James Lakereks (Nursing) who separately berated non-conduct of matriculation and convovation for many years, among other problems, suggested that if it was not possible for the schools to get enabling law, they should be affiliated to the FCT University of Science and Technology, Abaji.

    Bappah, while responding, promised to ensure that the last sessions of the schools celebrated these ceremonies, even as he pledged the determination of the FCTA to resolve all the problems bedeviling the schools.

    He also promised to ensure right placement and utilisation of the schools’ only PhD holder, Dr. Shammah Monday.

    The tour of FCT hospital facilities and related institutions would continue this week in the Abuja Municipal and Bwari Area Councils.

  • One in every two babies not breastfed exclusively in FCT

    Mrs. Amanda Pam, the Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says one out of every two babies delivered in FCT is not exclusively breastfed.

    Pam disclosed this at a ‘Baby Show’ organised by the FCT Primary Health Care Board to commemorate the 2018 World Breastfeeding Week with the theme “Breastfeeding: Foundation of Life’’.

    The scribe identified this gap as a contributing factor to the rate of death and illnesses in the territory describing it as unacceptable.

    Read Also: ‘PPP initiative will accelerate qualitative health care’

    She however suggested that the only way to reduce this burden was to ensure that all women in FCT irrespective of where they live are often time provided with adequate information on affordable, effective and efficient nutritious meals for their babies.

    According to her, the answer to mortality rate is exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, followed by introduction of complementary food at six months while continuing breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond.

    Pam, who identified breast milk as God’s made best food for babies, however urged men to support their wives to effectively breastfeed to enable the children benefit optimally.

    She further urged women to ensure early initiation of breastfeeding within 30 minutes after delivery.

    ‘Women breastfeed your babies within half an hour of delivery, breastfeed without adding water or any food nor drink in the first six months of life.’

    ‘Breast milk provides all the nutrients that the baby needs for growth, development in the first six months of life.’

    ‘It has no cost implication, it promotes bonding between mother and child and as well makes children intelligent, among other benefits,’Pam said.

     

  • ‘Operation no scavengers’

    Accused of robbery and vandalism, among other crimes, human scavengers who poke and rummage through garbage heaps in search of commercial scraps have been banned from the city. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports

    Following the resolution of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to combat armed robbery, kidnappings, vandalism and other forms of crime in the nation’s capital, the administration has banned the activities of scavengers also known as ‘Baban Bola’ from the city centre.

    They have been directed to restrict their activities to the official dumpsites in the city only.

    Speaking to newsmen on the development, the Secretary, FCTA Social Development Secretariat, Ladi Hassan, said the action was necessitated by the outcry from various residents  that many valuables have been lost to scavengers in the territory.

    He noted that many public utilities have been targets for vandalism and robbery activities that carried the footprints of Baban Bola practitioners.

    In a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media) to FCT Minister, Abubakar Sani, Hassan stated that under the guise of scavenging from refuse bins in the neighbourhoods across the city, the Baban Bolas have been involved in many criminal activities ranging from petty theft to armed robbery, vandalism of public utilities and other forms of criminality.

    To put an end to this, the Secretary said Baba Bolas are to operate only at the Gousa, Karshi, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Abaji and Kuje approved dumpsites, as opposed to moving from one neighbourhood to another collecting waste objects across Abuja.

    He said, “In furtherance of the commitment of the Administration to protect and secure lives and property of all residents of the Territory and in accordance with section 35 sub-section 1(i) of the AEPB Act of 1997, which prohibits the collection and disposal of refuse without authorisation, the FCT Administration hereby bans scavengers a.k.a Baban Bola from collecting, disposing of refuse, trespassing on refuse bins or similar activities in any part of the Federal Capital City.

    “Their activities are henceforth restricted to government designated dump sites outside the city. As a result, reports reaching the Administration indicate that residents in many parts of the Capital City have lost many of their valuables to these scavengers.”

    Pursuant to the foregoing, the Secretary requested the security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone found to be violating the directive and plying their trade outside the official dumpsites.

    It would be recalled that the FCTA had earlier given a May 2018 deadline to the group to seize their indiscriminate activities in the territory after it held a meeting with the leadership of the Abuja chapter of Baban Bola and craftsmanship last April.

  • FCTA trains staff in computer basics

    The Department of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has conducted an in-house training of no fewer than 25 administrative staff in basic computer knowledge.

    Speaking on the significance of the training, Assistant Director, Manpower Development, Mr. Rotimi Ajayi said that it was necessary to further build staff capacity to perform their tasks better.

    Ajayi who was represented by Head of ICT in the Transportation Secretariat, Mr. Ernest Ajorgbor said, “This programme is designed for the administrative staff in order to get them introduced to the latest skills of the Microsoft packages and to let them understand the essence of the computer. Some of them have not used computer before now and they are eager to learn. This is particularly important because the FCT Administration may be introducing a paperless office in the near future, so we have to get our staff prepared for that task.

    On whether the training was impactful, Ajayi said: “Day two of the programme has been rewarding. The first day, we had computer appreciation programme, where we taught them on how to use the computer. Some of them did not even know how to put it on and off before; while others had little computer skills and could do something without actually knowing what they were doing.

    “Some of them are so skillful using their phones, which has android application packages similar to the new computer packages we are introducing them to. So we are trying to migrate those skills they have about the mobile phones to the computer, and they are making a lot of progress.

    “It is an in-house training to abreast the staff with the new skills because most of these new application packages are been introduced on a yearly basis so there is need for us to train and retrain the workforce on the skills, and the FCTA, in this trial stage, is training 25 of them.

    But will they be given personal laptops to continue practicing after the three days? Ajayi explained that the FCT Administration would have loved to do that but the paucity of funds wouldn’t allow that to happen, at least not now; expressing hope that with improved financial capability, the Administration could look into that, adding that such laudable initiatives were brought up due to the FCT Minister’s prudent financial management.

    Noting the high percentage of computer literacy among the FCTA staff, Ajayi however noted that about 37 percent of the staff were not computer literate, even as he stated that the training would also eliminate time wastage in treatment of files due to lack of secretaries within the system as certain officials would be able to type their memos themselves.

    Some of the beneficiaries we spoke to expressed delight and gratitude to the Administration for giving them the opportunity to have the latest skills in computer, calling on the management to extend the same to their colleagues.

    Ayam Stephen Mario said: “the training has gone a long way in helping us improve in the discharge of our responsibilities in our various offices. There are certain things we did not know before, but now we know them.

    “For instance, I have typed, printed and done a few other things on the computer before, but I have just known how to create a folder and save in it during this training and this will make me manage files better. I have also learnt that within a folder, I can create many folders, so it is a good thing for us to be here.

    Ayam, who works with the disciplinary unit of the Human Resource Management department, appealed to the Administration to give them personal computers to enable them improve faster and master the skills.

    “We thank the management for organising this kind of training for us,” he said. “There is the need for them to give us a personal computer. We need a personal computer so that we will continue practicing even when we are home because some of us do not have access to any in our offices.”

    Another beneficiary, Ofuna Thomas also said that the experience was very helpful to them. he said: “Work in the registry and we are supposed to have all files documented so that anytime we are looking for a file, we will not only go to the in-coming and out-going registers, but we can also do that with  the use of a computer.

    “The knowledge we are gaining here can help us use the computer to know not just location of a file but the date it came in and went out, including which officer is handling it.”

    Ofuna who also thanked the FCTA management for the training, asked for more, both for him and other staff.

     

  • Protest aftermath: Govt to create jobs in disturbed community

    After the protest over a demolished market in Gosa, a community off the Abuja Airport Expressway, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is considering creating jobs to mop up idle youths in the community.

    Late last month, residents of the community blocked the airport expressway to express their anger at the destruction of their market.

    Since then, the authorities of the FCTA, community leaders and security personnel have been meeting to forestall a repeat of such a demonstration in such a prominent area of the territory.

    The FCTA is also considering relocating the Gosa Market to a more convenient area further inside the community.

    These actions were part of the resolutions of a meeting between the FCT Minister, his officials, Gosa community leaders and heads of security agencies in the Territory.

    The meeting was necessitated by the search for a lasting solution to the recent crisis that engulfed the area last Saturday and Monday.

    Addressing the media at the end of a follow-up tour of affected areas, Bello disclosed that the Traditional Ruler of the Garki Chiefdom, Alh. Usman Ngakupi, under whom the expressway communities fall, has been requested to liaise with the village heads of affected communities to select able bodies youths for recruitment. Accordingly, the selected youths would serve as marshals for the purposes of environmental protection and safeguarding of the road corridors against abuses.

    The minister in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, said, “I am inclined to consider upgrade of Communities in the area as well as giving them Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for their houses to enable them have bankable documents. But if government is pushed to the wall, we would have no option but to relocate the communities.”

    Subsequently the Minister revealed other resolutions of the meeting to include that “there will be no more activities beyond the community boundaries. Trading within the expressway corridors as well as the pedestrian bridges has been prohibited.”

    Accordingly, the administration within months, would open up spaces behind the various communities for the purposes of playgrounds, markets, community centres etc.

    Bello directed the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Mr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, an engineer, to clear the new ground for the relocated Gosa market before Friday as no market would be allowed to hold in the former place any longer.

    FCT Minister conveyed his sympathies to motorists whose vehicles sustained various levels of damages during the crisis which resulted from the clean-up exercise embarked in and around the market by FCTA Development Control officials. He expressed concern over the trauma that innocent travellers were put through during the incident.

    Malam Bello warned mischief makers not test the will of the Administration and cautioned that the administration will never again condone such acts of brigandage. He corrected insinuations in some segments of the media that the measure was sudden while recalling his various interactions with the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council as well as other major stakeholders including joint visits to the area since October last year.

    Addressing the gathering, the Coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Councils, (AMMC),  Umar Shuaibu, noted that the Gosa Market is situated at the Wawa District, Zone E, of Abuja, and was allocated since 2006. During the period, the Coordinator noted, AMMC was to relocate the market lying 500 meter away from the Airport Expressway and sitting on people’s plots to a more convenient place.

    Shuaibu stressed that due to uncontrolled expansion, pedestrian paths and service lanes became part of the market. It became a nuisance to road users as the place became inundated by commercial vehicles. Refuse dumps began to mount and the road began to witness cases of recklessness on the use of the roads.  It was for this reason that a new site was earmarked which had a capacity of 1500 traders and parking space for 500 cars as against the present one that was estimated at 500 traders but has since spilled beyond its bounds.    In his submission at the meeting, the Director, Department of State Securities, Malam Ado Muazu noted that road blockage on the slightest provocation has become a trend among the youths of the area. He stressed that this must stop and cannot be negotiated. The DSS boss recalled that the same thing happened when a community on the same road had an issue with the airport authorities. The youths, he noted, took the laws into their own hands and blocked the road.  He said that the DSS authorities has met with people and has obtained assurances that this would not happen again.

    The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Malam Abdulahi Adamu Candido, at the meeting, conveyed his apologies to the government, residents and victims of the fracas.  He thanked the FCT Minister for the far-reaching measures being adopted to stem the degeneration of the Airport road and to provide alternatives for the people. “This has been our prayer for some time now,” he noted.