By Sarah NEGEDU
The past one year has been a rollercoaster of activities for the leadership of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, and, indeed, for observers of activities of the FCTA.
Since his appointment as FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his Minister of State counterpart, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, have had the difficult task of stabilising the affairs of a territory that had been bedeviled by issues of widespread insecurity, poor infrastructure and general disillusionment of residents.
With the disturbing trend of kidnapping, banditry and activities of one-chance robbers they met on ground, the ministers had their jobs cut out for them, especially as the brazen activities of kidnappers gradually spread towards the city centre.
Controversy from Day One
The Wike led administration had to hit the ground running almost immediately. But first, Wike began by clearing all doubts as to his political leaning as a serving cabinet member in a government of an opposition party.
Like sitting governors and presidents, FCT Ministers, by tradition, are the only ministers permitted to fly both the national and party flags on their official vehicles.
However, the minister in his maiden media briefing announced that he was not in Abuja to fly party flags, but to work hard and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“Why should anyone be bothered about what party flag I will be flying? Okay, bring PDP flag, I will fly it, bring the Labour Party flag, I will fly it.
“The FCT is in this state and you think the people are bothered about the party flag I fly? I will fly the Nigerian flag and ensure the FCT returns to the dreams of the founding fathers.
“We will bring FCT back to where it ought to be. So many people have complained that this is not the FCT of the founding fathers. We must tackle issue of security. FCT should be where people come for holidays.”
Rolls out priorities but…
Wike, at media briefing rolled out a 10-point agenda with focus on issues of security, city sanitation, preservation of the Abuja Master Plan, infrastructure development, restoration of green areas, removal of shanties, blocking of revenue leakages, ground rents payment, among other deliverables.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, the FCT experienced a spike in kidnappings, staring fear among residents of the territory.
The kidnapping and eventual murder of 400 level student of ABU, Zaria, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, and 13 years old Folashade Ariyo, along with two other victims, sent shock waves around the country, as many called on the FCT Minister to end the reign of terror in Abuja.
The minister, in January this year, organised townhall meetings across the six area councils where he engaged traditional rulers, vigilante groups and other stakeholders on best approach to tackling the menace of kidnapping in Abuja.
The feedbacks from the town hall meetings led to the establishment of additional police post in strategic locations, the purchase and distribution of 100 motorcycles to security outfits and the six area councils in the territory.
This was expected to aid vigilantes and security agents access difficult and mountainous terrains, especially in the rural areas.
As a continuous effort, the administration again July this year, distributed 50 operational vehicles and communication gadgets to security agencies to strengthen the fight against insecurity in the territory.
These efforts yielded results almost immediately, especially with the arrest of some suspected kidnap kingpins and informants in areas like….
The minister will later place N20million bounty on two of Abuja’s most notorious kidnappers, Saidu Abdulkadir and Dahiru Adamu. The move led to their arrest, by the FCT Police Command, bringing the tide of kidnappings to its barest minimum.
Barely two months after assumption of office, Wike, announced that the president has granted approval for the implementation of an FCT Civil Service Commission ending a five years jinx after the National Assembly passed the FCT Civil Service Commission bill into law.
The law enables FCTA Civil Servants to rise to the peak of their career as permanent secretaries and Head of Service in the Administration.
Same day, the minister also announced the removal of the FCTA out from the unified Treasury Single Account, TSA, a development which now frees up more funds for the FCT Administration to fund projects.
Wike’s Administration also saw the establishment of the Women Affairs Secretariat, and most recently, the Youth Development Secretariat.
Like he promised during his inugural media chat to embark on massive infrastructure development, as part of his deliverables. Almost immediately, the Wike led Administration in September, 2023, began massive resurfacing and rehabilitation of 135 roads, and another 189 roads within Maitama, Garki and Utako in February 2024.
The administration also concerned itself with the completion of the several abandoned projects that littered the landscape of Nigeria’s capital city.
Projects’ commissioning
Wike’s penchant for dedication and thorough jobs saw to the timely completion of 9 critical projects earmarked for commissioning by the President Tinubu in a nine packed series of inauguration set to celebrate the President’s first year in office.
Some of the projects completed and commissioned includes the Southern Express Park way – now Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, the Wuye Bridge Interchange, the Abuja light Rail, the Outer Southern Express Way, OSEX, the N20 Arterial road, now Wole Soyinka Way.
Others are, the Inner southern express way, ISEX and the completion of B6- Constitution Avenue, B12- Independence Avenue & the Circle Roads to the Abuja Central Area, the Vice President’s official residence and the provision of engineering infrastructure in Guzape lot2 district, now named, Chinua Achebe Way.
A touch of rural areas
Rural roads were also given similar attention, as the FCT Minister in February, embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of over 12 rural roads and bridges across the six area councils, with a stern warning to contractors to ensure their completion before. December 2024.
The first phase of the rural roads projects includes, the 9km Paikon-Kore-Ibwa road in Gwagwalada Area Council, 11.3km Yangoji road in Kwali Area Council, 5km dual carriage way at Kuje, 5km Naharati Ukya- Angwan Hausawa road in Abaji Area Council, 7.2 Gaba-Tokulu road at Bwari Area Council and the 5km Tipper Garage-LEA Road in Kuje Area Council as well as the Saburi 1&2 road in AMAC.
FCTA schools sparkle
In the education sector, FCT Administration in March, kick started the simultaneous renovation of 19 Schools in the phase one of its Accelerated Whole-school Rehabilitation approach.
The sum of N13.1billion has been committed to the initiative for the renovation and rehabilitation of 40 schools across the territory.
Revenue boost
Another significant achievement in Wike’s administration is the recovery of ground rents running into billions of naira, from individuals and corporate bodies.
The Abuja Geographic Information System, AGIS, had in September 2023, reported that it had recovered close to N2 billion from payment of ground rents. The agency at the time reported that it was witnessing a surge of debtors rushing to pay up their debts barely one month after his inauguration as minister.
The minister also resolved the over one year dispute between, surrounding the construction of a second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
On August 29, 2023, Wike successfully brokered peace between the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the host community in Jiwa, who had for months failed to reach an agreement on the compensation plans for those to be vacated from their ancestral land.
At a troubleshooting parley with members of the community and other stakeholders, the minister directed the immediate payment of N825 million in compensation to the affected land owners.
Promoting food security
In the area of agriculture, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has diligently seen to the distribution of various agricultural inputs to farmers in the FCT as part of efforts of ensuring food security in the territory.
Only last week, Mahmoud saw to the distribution of 900 metric tonnes of assorted fertilizers donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria for free distribution to farmers.
The minister warned against diversion of the product to the market, stressing that the FCT Administration will ensure that the fertilisers get to the intended beneficiaries.
Earlier in July, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, distributed 10 tractors, 140 power tillers, and other agricultural machineries to community interest groups in the FCT under the World Bank supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes, ACReSAL, Project,
The project seeks to enhance community resilience against climate change and enhance the livelihoods of communities in the 19 Northern states of Nigeria and the FCT.
To prevent the outbreak of cholera in Abuja, Mahmoud tasked the management of the FCT Primary Health Care Board to take decisive actions to guard against the outbreak of the epidemic in the nation’s capital.
The minister, while chairing the last FCT Joint Account Allocation Committee, JAAC, warned that as the seat of power, the FCT could not afford to be caught napping.
Overall, it has been an eventful first year in office for the FCT Ministers. However, as the days unfolds, all eyes will be on the Nyesom Wike led FCT Administration, to see how he manages the many challenges that comes with leading a complex city like Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
