The six Area Council Chairmen of the Federal Capital Territory were sworn into office on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at the Cyprian Ekwensi Cultural Center, Abuja.
The new Chairmen took their oaths of office and were sworn in by Justice Suleiman Belgore who represented the Honourable Chief Judge of the FCT High Court.
In his remarks to the new Chairmen, FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello congratulated them on their success at the elections held in February and urged them to commence the provision of qualitative services to residents, especially in the areas of health, education, security and sanitation.
He said: “If I were you, I will go for the basics. I will tackle primary education, I will tackle primary healthcare, I will tackle sanitation, I will tackle insecurity.
“And whoever you are, you can’t do anything on the security of your community unless you relate with your elders in the country. So, hold on to these three or four items diligently and understand that you are local government authority and you are meant to provide local services”.
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The Minister added: “During your tenure, don’t ever allow one day to pass with your pupils out of school because somebody is on strike… Don’t ever allow a primary healthcare in your Area Council to be without water, to be without electricity, to be without staff, so that that woman who is pregnant, or that little boy who has diarrhea or that young girl that has malaria is taken care of. I tell you, if you handle these little things that you may think are small, your people will forever be grateful to you”.
He also enjoined the new Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to take time to go round their Area Councils with a view to familiarising themselves with the various environmental challenges such as blocked drainages, waste and unkept streets.
Malam Bello urged them to hold true to the oath they swore to and remember that God is watching them.
He said: “I urge you all to go back to your houses, carefully read and understand what you swore, because all of you, I noticed, held the holy books while you were doing so.
“These words that you uttered today holding the holy books and also in the presence of all of us as witnesses and above all in the presence of God Almighty, are not simple words”, the Minister added.
He however assured the newly inaugurated Chairmen of the continuous support of the FCT Administration while also charging residents to always hold those in authority accountable for what they swore to do.
The new Chairmen are Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. John S. Gabaya of Bwari, Hon. Danladi Chiya of Kwali, Hon. Abubakar Umar Abdullahi of Abaji, Hon. Abdullahi Sulaiman Sabo of Kuje, Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri of Gwagwalada.
The ceremony had in attendance community, religious and traditional leaders in the FCT including Hon. Micah Jiba, House member representing AMAC Bwari Federal Constituency, the Onah of Abaji, Chief of staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Borno, the FCT Chairmen of the APC and PDP, senior officials of the FCTA led by the Permanent Secretary Mr Olusade Adesola and other dignitaries.
* Report by Anthony Ogunleye, Chief Press Secretary to Minister, FCT