Reps Blast FCT Minister Over Administrative Failure In Abuja

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, lambasted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, for administrative failure and rising insecurity in Abuja.

Mohammed was summoned by the House of Representatives to explain his sole administration of the FCT by failing to appoint Mandate Secretaries, which is equivalents of commissioners at the state level and Ministers at the federal level.

At the plenary on Tuesday, the House unanimously adopted a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, which was titled: ‘Urgent Need to Arrest the Fast Deterioration of the Federal Capital Territory’.

Moving the motion Okechukwu said that “with grave concern, Abuja has never been as unsafe as it is today, due to among others, the influx of bandits and criminals.

“Also, due to the lack of modern security infrastructure in the city center and satellite towns, and non-maintenance of available ones, including CCTV installations and as little as streetlights.”

The lawmaker added, “The House notes with concern the poor city management bedeviling the FCT resulting in obvious disorderliness and widespread deterioration.

“The House equally notes with serious concern, the indiscriminate allocation of lands without a matching infrastructural development.

“The House is concerned about the acute lack of infrastructure in the satellite towns and the resort by tax-paying citizens to self-help in Territory that should ordinarily model rural development in Nigeria.

“The House is concerned about the allocation of lands in Green Areas in clear breach of the FCT Master Plan.

“The House is also concerned about the worsening poor waste management practice in the FCT, including dearth and poor maintenance of waste treatment plants, despite Minister of State FCT’s claim of N8bn annual expenditure on waste management in the FCT.”

Okechukwu also expressed worry about the status of the Gurara Water Transfer Project and the “far-reaching consequences of absence of a full complement of the FCTA’s administrative structures for about two years since the appointment of the FCT Minister.

The lawmaker cited Section 299 (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as giving the National Assembly the powers to legislate for the FCT and oversight the FCT Administration.

Adopting the motion, the House resolved to “summon the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to appear before the Committee of the Whole House to brief the House on the above-outlined issues.”

Some youths in the Federal Capital Territory had on Monday staged a protest against the rising spate of insecurity in Abuja.

They also protested against the inefficient transportation system and infrastructure deficit in the nation’s capital.

The youths under the aegis of FCT Youths Stakeholders Forum were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions such as “Why is FCT budget always delayed,” “we demand improved service delivery for FCT residences in two weeks,” and “we demand youth empowerment and engagement,” among other.

The protesters lamented that there had been a decline in governance and quality of service delivery in FCT in the last few years.

While Addressing journalists during a protest at the Federal Capital Territory secretariat on Monday, one of the leaders of the group, Ahmadu Yunusa had said the situation in the nation’s capital “looks like a community without a government.”

THE WHISTLER had exclusively reported that at night, many roads are without light at a time of heightened insecurity, exposing residents to danger. Worse of all, the sight of some residents openly defecating in public places has become more common.

The FCT, which is currently contending with various administrative challenges, has seen an unprecedented population growth in the last 15 years, but the city has refused to grow at similar pace.