There are 42 ministries in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Some are known for their workings, some are not heard of except at Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings, while there are very few that are working silently and the results are glaring to all. The Ministry of Federal Capital Territory Administration (MFCTA) is one that happens to be among the very few that their work is speaking for them.
Whatever yardstick one may use to assess the performance of the ministry, there are great transformational strides on the landscape of the nation’s Federal Capital.
It is a common phrase among residents that performance cannot be hidden, it is glaring and can be seen by all. Not necessarily because the city is developing, but the machines are loud enough to tell both residents and visitors alike that infrastructure development is vigorously going on in the territory. Construction works are a daily affair in Abuja.
Indeed, the FCTA’s achievements are spread through infrastructure, social services, prudence in financial management of resources and many more that time and space will not allow. Even critics of the Buhari government will agree that there is prudence in the management of scarce resources when it comes to development of infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Today, every responsible resident of the FCT agrees that the ministry has recorded great feats and giant strides in its socio-economic development. This is made possible because of the leadership qualities and know how that are brought to bear on the administration of the territory, as seen in the uncommon achievements and developments in the territory.
Without a doubt, the current leadership of the FCTA, comprising, of course, the minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, miinister of state, Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, and the permanent secretary, Olusade Adesola, have jointly contributed to the wellbeing of all residents of Abuja and brought infrastructure development which has made Abuja a city of repute in all ramifications in the continent of Africa and, indeed, the world.
On road construction, these include the Airport Expressway, Constitution Avenue road and Kuje road, which have been dualised so as to ease movement because of their critical nature.
In terms of projects, they are not lacking in the deliveries, taking into cognisance that the southern parkway, which has been completed and opened to traffic, forms the major spine of the capital city.
What about the rehabilitation and expansion of outer southern expressway from the Villa roundabout to Ring road one, or is it the development of the Idu industrial engineering infrastructure to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Paipe road leading to the Idu railway station?
They are leaving an indelible mark on the Abuja Light Rail project which phase one has been completed and is up running. More coaches and engines are being expected to beef up the present number thereby ensuring the passenger rate escalate to about 350,000.
The FCT administration has gotten the nod for the rehabilitation of the Lower Usman Dam water treatment plant phase 2. The contract is to last for 12 months and is almost completed and will provide water for FCT residents for the next 30 years. Residents are already praising the administration for providing the best potable water in the sub-region and arguably the second best water provided in Africa, after South Africa.
Not done yet, in order to stem the incidence of dark streets in the city, the administration has introduced solar street lighting system to complement the existing conventional ones in Abuja.
In the area of land administration, thousands of title documents, including certificates of occupancy, CsofO, Consents of Assignments and sub leases have been cleared.
Four new districts have been created – Mamusa North, Mamusa East, Parfun North and Parfun South. These altogether would provide 5,000 plots for residential, institutional and commercial purposes.
In the agriculture sector, under their watch, more than 9,000 farmers have benefitted from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers programme. Also, over 20,000 livestock were vaccinated within a two-week intensive vaccination campaign recently
In the education sector, the administration enhanced the gains recorded in the emergency education plans for the FCT to ensure that the agenda for education is not derailed.
Many schools in the territory were rehabilitated and provided with all the libraries and laboratory equipment needed. Teachers were employed and generally it has been a good time for the education sector in FCT.
Covid-19 pandemic, however, shook the world and the death rate was devastating, but the sagacity of the leadership of the FCTA helped in the revamping of the health sector in Abuja with the provision of the primary health care facilities in every area of the city. These facilities helped the administration in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The administration adopted a combative posture in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Its response to the fight against the pandemic was total and focused. It gave massive support to the PHC board of the FCT in the areas of mobile outreach and strategy for the PHC scheme implementation by way of integrated medical outreach programme for ease of immunisation and medical supplies.
On palliatives, 600,000 households in the six area councils of the FCT benefited from the palliatives which were distributed through a transparent door to door mechanism to prevent overcrowding.
The FCTA believes in the return of Abuja to its original master plan and in the last one year it has shown that everything is being done within the ambit of the law to maintain the master plan. One of such ways is by destroying illegal structures and shanties.
It has continued to allow institutions created to ensure the environmental, infrastructural, economic and physical development plans of the city work for this purpose. Parastatals such as the AEPB, AGIS, AMMA, Water Board and AUMTCO are being invigorated and strengthened to serve the Abuja needs.
By these actions the leadership of the FCTA under Bello has shown that being one of the largest, and fastest growing capital in the world, it has less options than to adhere to the plans made for the city. Indeed, Abuja is working.
Adebayo, an Abuja based journalist, writes via [email protected]_
