The 7th Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has resumed hitting the ground running. Honourable Angulu Zakari Dobi, an astute politician is now the helmsman at the Transportation Secretariat of the FCTA.
Politically, he has paid his dues and is one of the reference leaders in the affairs of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, politics. He served three terms as council chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the territory.
The former House of Representatives member, Angulu, is coming with an intimidating resume that shows that a round peg in a round hole has appeared on the scene. “I believe government work is a continuum and I am here to continue from where my predecessors stopped” – that is the mark of a leader who is ready to work.
Rating effective leadership is now based on the leader’s possession of soft skills’. Leadership is no longer rated by intimidating or swaying charisma like that of Adolf Hitler. Soft skills, according to Joana Marques in ‘Leadership Today, include purpose, morality, values, vision, authenticity, empathy and emotional intelligence, spirituality and trust, among others. Fortunately, Angulu possesses most of these traits.
It is argued that teamwork and collective responsibility matter much. From the body language when he addressed journalists in December 2021, the mandate secretary did not hide his desire to ensure that the Abuja Rail Mass Transit Services is restored. He said his quest is to see the rail transport back in operation and to provide residents of Abuja with an environmentally friendly transportation system.
Angulu, who was the FCT chairman of the ruling party, All Progrssives Congress, APC, also said his vision is to ensure the safety of residents as they move around and within the territory. He promised that he will ensure the provision of safety, comfort and convenience for residents, especially the vulnerable, by providing sidewalks, paths, bridges, bicycle racks, etc.
As such, he said, construction work is ongoing at appreciable level at the various sites including Garki 1, Garki 2, Wuse 1, Wuse 2, Maitama, Asokoro and the Central Business District, CBD. On the Motor Vehicle Administration under his supervision, Angulu said in order to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable transport system, the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service, DRTS, commonly referred to as VIO, is coming up with a five-year strategic development plan that will guide its operation.
He said with other security agencies, the DRTS is enforcing the ministerial ban on the use of tricycle and motorcycles as means of transportation in the city centre. He said for 2021, more than 50,000 vehicles were inspected with over 21,000 failing the test.
In the year under review, Angulu said 1,823 motorcycles were impounded, 499 tricycles were arrested and impounded while more than 300 vehicles were arrested and fined for violating traffic light and 389 others fell foul of the law for illegal parking.
The revenue generated last year by the agency was put at over N4 billion a rise from the N3 billion realised from previous year.
Signalisation of intersections remains one of the most effective ways of traffic management and control in any modern city. As such, he said efforts were made to procure signalisation and synchronisation of 10 intersections; while management of existing LED Traffic Lights at 37 intersections in phase one of the FCT (lot 1) operation, while LED traffic lights at 47 intersections in phase 1 of the FCT (Lot 11) of the city centre are ongoing.
He promised that for this year, the secretariat is to procure deep cycle batteries for traffic lights maintenance and provision and installation of road traffic and directional signs in the city centre.
The three-time chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council in the FCT said as the new helmsman, his desire is to provide an effective and efficient transportation system through proactive planning, effective monitoring, safe, accident free and infrastructural development in consonance with the Abuja transportation master plan that will meet with the expectation of Abuja residents.
He said there will be no short cut in ensuring that only sound and road worthy vehicles with qualified drivers ply the Abuja roads in compliance with Road Traffic Regulations and to put in place structures capable of achieving set goals and objectives.
Angulu has come to make a difference and he called for cooperation from the management and staff of the secretariat to join hands in making a huge success of his tenure.
Adebayo, an Abuja based journalist, writes via [email protected]
