The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, desires to see the nation’s capital city work like the fast-growing cities in the world.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, said the Minister is keen on getting illegality reduced to the barest minimum and, if possible, eradicated in the territory.
He, on the other hand, urged the media to work with the Minister to create a world-class city that will be the envy of all.
Attah made this appeal over the weekend when he received the management team of Independent Television (ITV) led by the General Manager, Barr. Mrs. Amber Olague, on a congratulatory visit on his recent appointment as the Senior Special Assistant to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement.
He said; “I appeal to the media to join hands with the Minister to build a first-class city. The Minister is keen to keep the city clean. He is keen to see the city work like other cities across the globe are managed and operated. The Minister is keen on maintaining the dreams of the founding fathers. The Minister is keen on getting illegality reduced to the barest minimum and, if possible, eradicated. I want all the media organisations to join the FCTA to move the city to a point where history will be fair to every one of us.”
He, however, praised the founder of ITV, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, for giving him the platform where God used him to elevate him.
According to him “I remain internally grateful to him for establishing ITV, where I worked to earn this appointment”.
Attah also commended the General Manager of Abuja station for her motherly role in the process of the appointment.
While recounting the process, he said, “ITV has been very wonderful in the sense that the things I have done, many media houses will not allow you to do them and still remain on staff.” I commend the GM for her motherly role”.
My appointment takes effect from September 19, 2019. When I came here to do a report, thinking I would get an exclusive for my media house, the minister pronounced me as a task force Chairman. I did not get the exclusive but was made a task force chairman. I quickly called the GM and told him that the minister had asked me to immediately become a task force chairman, and to my shock, the GM said Bravo! “Go ahead and do it,” she said, much to my surprise.
From that day forward, we started the Traffic Management Team, stabilizing Nyanya, Dutse Alhaji, and before we could say Jack Robinson, it had metamorphosed into the COVID-19 Enforcement Team. She kept encouraging me to do it, and from that COVID-19, we moved to City Clean Up, and she constantly followed me until I got to this point where I was appointed.” Am proud to say, I am an ITV employee. I am here on secondment and leave of absence to do the
ITV is a breeding ground for leaders, a breeding ground for professionals, a breeding ground for men who deeply believe in themselves. In the Bible, when God wanted to choose a king for Israel, His criteria were always outside of man’s control. When there was turmoil in Egypt and the Israelites were suffering in Egypt, he went into the Southern Peninsula and chose a man who was married to the king of Median Moses, led him through, and made him leader over Israel. When Saul saw that God had rejected him and was pronounced by Samuel, the anointing jar was filled to be placed on someone else in Jesse’s family. He picked from the list of those who were rearing cattle in the bush to lead over Israel when they had military men in their family. ITV is a platform for potential. As a very professional broadcast station, we may not be too critical to go against the ethics of the NBC code to earn us some critical names, but in professionalism, we know we have cut a niche for ourselves and that is leading us to greater heights.
“I thank you and promise to be a worthy ambassador of ITV. I promise not to disappoint the station. I promise to work for God and for the country and promise to do my best for the city,” he stated.
Also, the Special Assistant to the FCT Minister of State on Media, Austine Elemue, said this appointment has sent a strong message to those who are coming behind, noting that ” When God said, “I will bless the works of your hands,” it does not mean that you must work in NNPC, where ever you put in your very best.
He said, “ITV station, in terms of popularity and other things, cannot be compared with channels and others, yet Attah has done his best to place the station on a very high pedestal, and that is a strong message to all of you. It is not on till you get to CNN or BBC before you can be given that recognition.” Where ever you are, put in your very best and God will spot you out.
“I want to use this forum to tell others that posting Ikharo Attah here is not a mistake but divine and that he has demonstrated commitment in the discharge of his duties. “
Earlier in her remarks, the General Manager, ITV Abuja Station, Barr. Mrs. Amber Olague, said “we didn’t regret that we sent you to cover Villa and FCTA as beats, even though we knew that the job was enormous. I am sure it is clear to all those who are saying we are putting many feathers in one cap now that you did discharge your duties to the extent that those we sent you to decide to saddle you with responsibility”.
She thanked him for being a worthy ambassador of the station by putting us on a high pedestal.
She assured him of their support and cooperation to enable him to deliver on his mandate.
Dominica Nwabufo
