FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, targets to achieve provision of security, sanitation, funtional streetlights and eradicate indiscriminate bus stops and motor parks in the city.
The Minister disclosed that his determination is aimed at these deliverables within six months to Nigerians, before talking about infrastructure; assuring that his administration would also construct roads.
The Minister, who stated this during the official takeover ceremony on Tuesday at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Conference Hall, Central Business District, Abuja, promised not to abandon any project.
His words: “I am not party to abandoned projects, and I want to do projects that will take me one year so that there will be no issue of variation.”
He stated that any Director or head of any Secretariat, Department and Agency (SDAs), who would not be able to cope with his targets to quickly deliver identified short term solutions should inform him and be posted out and those who could, be brought in.
“I will make your blood pressure (BP) high. You won’t sleep, because I will be calling you every time. So if you know you don’t have capacity, come and tell me now and I will post you to another place”, he urged.
Wike charged those in positions of service and authority to take pride in the fact that during their times, achievements, not failure, was recorded; advising them do their work and not bother whether people loved them or not.
Reiterating that his government would demolish illegal structures, he said: “There is no going back on demolition. Illegality is illegality and that someone didn’t take action before doesn’t mean another will not take action today or tomorrow “.
The Minister also restated his stance to stop grazing, use of motorcycles and tricycles in the city centre.
“Keke NAPEP has taken over Maitama and Asokoro. How do you allow motorcycles, and even without helmets, in the city, we can have them at the satellite towns”, he said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, FCT Administration, Mr. Olusade Adesola, pledged the commitment, support and loyalty of all FCTA staff to the current government.
Adesola presented handover notes to the two Ministers, containing a list of major ongoing projects in the Territory, includung works at the Lower Usuma Dam, provision of engineering infrastructure at the newly opened Maitama II District, strengthening of G-7 security initiative, and completion of hospitals development, among others.
Also, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has called on the senior staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to support her and Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Minister of FCT, to succeed.
She said without the support and cooperation of the staff, there would not be meaningful development in the Territory.
Mahmoud stated this during her taking over ceremony at the FCDA Conference Hall, Tuesday.
She noted that with the support and co-operation of the Directors and other senior staff of the Administration, the mandate of President Bola Tinubu will be effectively delivered in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The Minister said that Satellite Towns and other key sectors will receive facelift under the current leadership of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Her words: “I am of the firm belief that, together, and with full support of the staff, we will replicate what the Minister has done in Rivers State in the nation’s capital, especially at the Area Councils and the Satellite Towns, so that the lives of our people in the rural areas will be positively touched.”
“It is also instructive to state that maximum commitment, cooperation and loyalty is expected from all the staff, because it will not be business as usual,” she added.
Mahmoud, while saying that everyone in the city must work for the good of the Territory, reiterated that “Abuja, our centre of unity, would not have been what it is today without you all contributing your quota in one way or the other to keep it a functional city.”
According to her, “We will run with the vision of Mr. President, which we will be unveilling as we hit the ground running”.
▪︎ Report by Abuja Digest per Wisdom Acka & Freda Aideyan.