The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration says Abuja, Nigeria’s capital remains the safest part of the country.
The FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello made the declaration on Thursday at the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team.
Bello said security of lives and property in the territory remains paramount.
“I want to tell you, the FCT is the most secured part of Nigeria today” said the Minister. “Yes, we have insecurity here and there, it is a reality and I think it is a phenomenon that affects not just Nigeria.
“What I know is that the security agencies in the FCT are doing extremely well because for every incident that you read in the papers or see on the social media, or even hear on the radio, I tell you, ten out of fifteen of such cases had already been nipped in the bud but it is not out there in the public, for security reasons.
“For instance, we have through the security agencies discovered several cells of boko haram within the FCT, the areas where they lived, the kind of businesses they were doing and how they were able to blend within the wider communities, details which I cannot divulge.
“Even two days ago, a plan was discovered to kidnap two prominent people but because of modern technology and the network among the security agencies, the plan was botched.”
Infrastructure
On infrastructure, the minister disclosed that when the administration came on board, it decided to focus on the completion of on-going and abandoned projects before embarking on new ones.
“When I was appointed in November, 2015, from the very beginning, my team and I looked at the FCT and appraised the level of work that we inherited and we realized that if we did not focus on the projects we found on ground, then within a few years, Abuja will become a place where people cannot live.
“That has always guided me and my team; work on infrastructure, complete the ongoing projects and then looking at the demographic trends and trajectory that we all envisage the FCT was going to be, we decided to embark on some additional new critical projects,” he said.
Bello listed the public buildings that have received attention from the FCT administration to include the reconstructed UN building in Abuja as well as the National Mosques and National Christian Centre, adding that N5000000 has already been budgeted for the renovation of the two worship centers.
He said the FCT administration decided to assist in that regard, so as to make them presentable tourist sites for visitors in the city of Abuja.
“In 2011, Boko haram bombed the UN building in Abuja and we lost 21 people in that incident but when President Buhari came on board in 2015, he was informed of what happened and he gave a substantial amount to the FCT to reconstruct that building.
“That building has been done and now it’s functional and the immediate past UN Coordinator in Nigeria told me that apart from the UN headquarters in New York, in the entire globe now, they don’t have any other building that is as beautiful as the one in Abuja,” he added.
On the delayed inauguration of elected Area Council Chairmen and Councilors for the FCT, the Minister said the matter is in court, due to a suit filed by some aggrieved politicians and as soon as the case is over, he will implement the decision of the court.
Revenue Generation
Bello disclosed that his administration currently generates over N200 billion annually through aggressive revenue drive in the territory.
He said the administration is working hard to beat Lagos as the highest revenue generating state in the country.
Head of the Directorate of Road Transport Service of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr Abdulateef Bello, who accompanied the Minister to the State House, said that commercial motorcyclists otherwise known as Okada riders would now require license to operate within the FCT and its suburbs.
He disclosed that aside from traffic violations, the riders were also being used to deliver hard drugs across the city.
He said: “The menace arising from many Okada riders is not just about traffic violations but also perpetration of crime. Okada is also used to deliver hard drugs across the city. It requires a multi sectoral approach to deal with the menace. We are introducing riders certification for those using Okada for dispatch activities.
“Therefore, until you are verified by the directorate of road transport service you may not be able to ride a bike across Abuja. We are remodeling the licensing and regulations as well. These would be carried out to dissuade the use of Okada. Total ban has been suggested but it is still being considered.
“Some of the adjoining states are already banning. And if we don’t ban it, FCT will be a dumping ground in a few years.”
Emmanuel Ukoh
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