The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Malam Muhammad Musa Bello

  • Over 130 homeless children reject alternative accommodation

    Over 130 homeless children from the demolished Orphanage in Kubwa Abuja have rejected the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) offer of alternative accommodation.

    The children, who were brought with Police escorts to the Minister’s office  from a temporary home where they were assembled after their orphanage home  was demolished last week by the Department of  Development Control, turned down the offer, saying their happiness would be jeopardised it they were taken to an entirely new home.

    Recall that an orphanage home – also containing a school and a church – known as Divine Words of Jesus Christ Church occupied by a widow and 150 orphans including infants, was reduced to rubles by bulldozers of the Department of Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

    This was despite the fact that the said property is still entangled in litigation.

    FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Christian Ohaa, who addressed Journalists after the short meeting with the children and some officials of Social Development Secretariat, stated that FCTA wanted to make sure that the children were secured, given protection and welfare.

    Ohaa, who did not want to create further psychological trauma for the children, said the administration had to concede to the children’s request to stay back with their care giver.

    He however noted that while the children’s request will be granted, the administration would ensure necessary rules for administration of orphanage in the territory were not breached.

    He said: ” We want to know what has gone because most important thing is minister has decided to do is to make sure that they are happy anywhere they are.

    “As you can see they said they should go back to where they were before and those who were taken care of them should be released but we must make sure also that all the necessary bylaws and procedures of having an orphanage home is adhere to but uppermost of the FCT administration is to make sure that they are well welfare is taken care of.

    “That is why we brought them here, the headquarters of the administration and interacted with them by no less a person by the Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and my humble self.

    “If you were here earlier, the whole students insisted that they must go back to their home.

    READ ALSO: ‘68m Nigerian children homeless’

    “We wanted to take them to our area in Gwagwalada but they refused and if they refused, they will not be obedient there and if anything happens to them it will be taken against you.

    “Now, we want the peace to reign first and foremost. Let them be at peace and we will work with the woman and make sure their welfare is well taken of because whether you like it or not, if somebody is not happy, even if you put him in an expensive place in government, it will affect the person’s psyche because if you notice when minister was talking to bring them and put them in a better condition but they refused.

    “Our Social Welfare Departments must be there, monitor what is happening there, so if we see that that place is not conducive enough, we must apply the law, but above all, their welfare is the most important,”Ohaa noted.

    The head girl of the orphanage home, Olajumoke Lawrence, who spoke on behalf of the children, said their happiness will threatened if they are separated from the place they have been for years.

    She said that the children would prefer to he kept together in one place than to be separated into other homes at different locations.

  • Director hails minister, Perm Sec on prudent management

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and Permanent Secretary, Sir Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa have been commended for ensuring prudent management of financial and human resources.

    FCT Director of Treasury, Ismaila Ishiaku disclosed this while speaking with members of the FCT press corps who were in his office at the FCTA secretariat to celebrate his 59th birthday.

    Referring to the FCT Minister, Ishiaku recalled that Bello came in (office) determined to positively and quickky turn things around.

    He said, “He came in with the feeling of a government that wanted to do things differently. So he was in a hurry to see that things were changed. Thank God his efforts were complimented by the present Permanent Secretary Chinyeaka Ohaa who also is an accountant and has had a stint or an interface with politics.

    “Thank God for my fitting in, in my relationship with him, because the fact of the matter is that loyalty cannot be lopsided…either by any of the tendencies that tend to divide Nigeria. Loyalty is absolute, it is for the interest of Nigeria. That, I must thank him, for accepting me, for us to work together, and for the progress we are making.”

    Speaking about the vagaries of managing a lucrative treasury, The DOT said: “Being put in charge of finances of a big organization like the FCT Administration exposes us to a lot of challenges from both the high and mighty in the society, including politicians and the big business persons from the private sector.

    He however, warned that it behooves on them to work as a team, be honest, transparent, diligent, accountable and incorruptible in office and ensure attainment of government goals through effective service delivery.

    “So frankly speaking, the few years we have ahead maybe so stressful in maintaining our reputation…to make sure that whatever the temptation, we realise that the future is better than now so we cannot destroy it”, he warned

    Speaking about his staff and colleagues, the treasury director went philosophical: “I must thank my staff. I have only two eyes in my front; no eyes by my side; no eyes behind, so their honesty, sincerity and patience are very important.

    “We are supposed to be mature, such that I can guide them, so they too can guide me. If I fail, they have also failed; if there is lack of transparency here, it is all of us that are liable. We are old enough to make sure that the names we have built over a long period of time are not destroyed overnight, and we have children who will bear our names, because if my child is coming to apply for journalism, you will automatically look at him with that mindset.

    The FCT Treasury boss also hailed the media, particularly the FCT Press Corps for always being objective in their reportage of the FCT activities and programmes, adding that because of the objectivity and profeasional journalism devoid of fake news, the FCT Administration was always put on its toes and on the right path in its effective service delivery and world-class infrastructural provision.

    Chairman of the FCT Press Corps, Ikharo Attah who spoke earlier, extoled the virtues of the director and pledged that the Corps would maintain objectivity and balance and be professional in its duties.

  • Bello urges herders, farmers to live in peace

    Following the increasing spate of farmers-herders clashes in some parts of the country, FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has called on farmers and herdsmen in the nation’s capital to continue living in peace by showing understanding and love for one another.

    Bello made this call while speaking to representatives of farmers, herders, traditional rulers and vigilance groups, among others at the palaces of the Ona of Abaji and Esu of Kwali, in the two Area Councils.

    The minister’s representative, the Federal Capital Territory Administration Secretary for Social Development Secretariat, Oladimeji Ali-Hassan, who doubles as chairman of a committee for the prevention of herders-farmers clashes in the FCT, said Bello was being proactive about maintaining peace in Abuja.

    “The FCT Minister sent us here because of the collision and crisis between herders and farmers. Farmers and herders have lived together in peace and harmony for many years, but recent events have necessitated this advocacy and sensitization, so this is intended to forestall any crisis involving the two groups.

    “We are here so that we can tap from the wisdom of our respected traditional rulers and other stakeholders in sustaining the prevailing peace we currently enjoy in the FCT, especially between the nomads and the farmers”.

    He stated this and added: “We may know the beginning of a crisis, but we can never predict its ending. It is when there is peace that we can indulge in all human endeavours, including rearing of cattle and farming. We therefore appeal to both the farmers and the herders to continue to embrace peace across the FCT.”

    Responding, Ona of Abaji, HRH Adamu Yunusa expressed gratitude to the President and FCT Minister for setting up the committee, noting that there was peace in the Territory, even as he pledged that they were determined to resolving any conflict within their domain.

    However, the royal father advised the Federal Government and the FCTA to work towards dedicating grazing land to herders and farm land to farmers, separating their activities in order to let peace reign.

    He added that because farming was mechanised, in addition to general human development, land became a scarce commodity, even as he urged that grazing land should be factored into development initiatives of governments.

    On his part, the Esu of Kwali, HRH Shaban Nizzazo who also hailed the president and minister for the initiative pledged to work closely with the government to ensure attainment of the goal of the committee.

    He however warned that its work should not go the way of other committees, but yields the expected result.

    Other stakeholders who spoke representatives of the Fulani community, the chiefs and others. Almost unanimously, all the stakeholders agreed on one fact –that land was getting more and more scarce, as it was not enough for farming and grazing activities.

    While the Fulani representatives asked government to reserve grazing land, and also restrict others from going into water bodies, where cattle drink from to avoid clashes, the farmers decried a situation where their lands where been taken over by the governments without any recourse to them.

    Some Fulani herders, while disclosing that those who kill were not part of those who had lived with the farmers for many years, requested that cattle routes be respected, places where cattle brink be preserved and that the Fulani be respected as human beings, adding that the trouble makers were strangers.

    Another speaker who identified himself simply as Haruna, Maiyangwa, revealed that they were three categories of Fulani, “those who have been with us for many years that we do not have problem with, the others who come around in trailers, as well as the other type which graze throughout the night. It is the last two groups that we have problem with”.

    He queried: “how can you wake up, go to your farmland and see a beacon on it, or even a fence. It is not good at all. We want government to look into it. Let them not allocate land without first letting with us.”

    District head of Yangoji who liked farming to education of the farmers, called that farmers should not b denied access to their farms, and warned: “if nothing is done, worse than Benue crisis will occur in the FCT.”

    The vigilance group leader in Kwali who put the blame on both farmers and herder decried a situation where children were the ones now leading cattle instead of the elderly, as it was the case in the past.

    He also berated the herders for abandoning the old approach of seeking peaceful resolution with farmers whenever farmlands were encroached in the past, even as decried that cases of rustling of cattle were also part of the problem.

    A major highlight of the events was a drama presentation by FCT cultural troupe, depicting how farmers and herders should live in peace, recalling the good old days when the herders gave farmers on the farm and in the houses nunu (milk) and farmers, in return, gave the herders food and both intermarried and lived together in peace and harmony.

    The FCT ministerial committee on community theatre project for herders and farmers clash will continue its advocacy to the remaining four area councils within this month.

  • FCTA, ITF to collaborate on skill development

    In a bid to curtail the rate of unemployment in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the country in general, FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has expressed the readiness of FCT Administration to collaborate with Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to inculcate necessary entrepreneurial and vocational skills in FCT youths.

    The Minister gave this indication when the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Sir Joseph Ari paid a him a courtesy call on Tuesday.

    He said: “We are ready to partner with Industrial Training Fund to reduce unemployment in the Territory by ensuring that our youths acquire the necessary skills that would make them self-employed and employers of labour. This is especially very important now that there is so much influx of people from every part of the country into the Territory.”

    Malam Bello, who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, lauded the enormous contributions of the ITF in repositioning the nation’s economy on the path of sustainable growth and development.

    His words: “We know that Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is one of the foremost institutions that has helped Nigeria economy tremendously. In fact, your role is even more critical now that we are having unemployment issues.”

    The Director-General and Chief Executive Office of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, explained that given the position of FCT as the gateway of Nigeria, the Agency believed that partnership with FCT Administration, particularly in the area of skill acquisition would assist immensely to achieve the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari of empowering young people with requisite skills.

    “We are here to synergise with FCT Administration being the gateway of Nigeria to achieve the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari which is hinged on empowering people with skills in different areas, he explained.”

    The director-general further remarked that the Agency has keyed into the policy of Federal Government concerning ease of doing business and other international trends.

    In another development, closing ceremonies for the nationwide National Industrial Skills Development programme embarked by the ITF in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry, in the 36 states of the federation, is to commence in Abuja on Monday, January 29, 2019.  A major highlight of the event would be the presentation of starter-packs to all graduands. According to a release by the Fund, this is to ensure that beneficiaries utilise the knowledge acquired from the training for entrepreneurship, vocational and overall economic development of the country.