By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has approved N7.3 billion for new waste collection contracts across four districts, alongside a two-year diesel supply plan for the Wupa Basic Waste Treatment Plant.
The development which was announced at the end of the Executive Committee, EXCO, meeting on Monday, officials say, is aimed at stabilising Abuja’s sanitation system.
Briefing journalists after the meeting chaired by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Felix Obuah, said the approvals were part of measures to restore efficient waste evacuation across the capital.
“In today’s EXCO, we did present and seek the ratification of two memos that were graciously approved by the EXCO.
“The first memo was the memo seeking the approval and ratification of contract for the provision of waste collection and management services in four delineated districts of the Federal Capital City.”
He listed Durumi, Wuye, Mabushi and Jabi as the districts covered by the new contracts, adding that “The total figure for the award of these four contracts amounted to 7.3 billion Naira.”
He explained that EXCO also cleared a separate contract for the supply of AGO diesel to the Wupa Basic Waste Treatment Plant, whose operations have faced pressure from fuel shortages.
A second memo on the procurement of food and non-food items for flood-affected persons in the FCT was also approved.
“The second memo was the memo seeking for ratification and award of contract for the procurement of food and non-food items to support flood-affected persons in FCT. This memo too was graciously approved,” he said.
The meeting further ratified N1.133 billion for emergency procurement of communication gadgets and equipment for the FCT Security Agency.
The Director of Procurement, Musa Idris Onsachi, said the intervention became necessary after gaps were identified last year.
“In today’s EXCO meeting, the EXCO have approved and ratified award of contract for the emergency procurement of communication gadgets and other equipment for FCT Security Agency in the sum of 1,133,802,500 Naira only,” he said.
“The essence of this project is to support the FCT Security Agency in carrying out their assignment within the territory. When His Excellency, the FCT Minister came on board, he discovered that there was a gap of the equipment of what he met. Now, with the support of these gadgets, the FCT Security Agency were able to do their work diligently.”
On land administration, the Director of Land Administration announced major improvements in the processing Certificates of Occupancy, attributing remaining delays to incomplete submissions by applicants.
“Gone are the days when you pay for C-of-O, you wait years, in some cases decades, to have your certificate produced and issued to you.
“As long as you pay your certificate of occupancy bill, you could have your C-of-O within a time period as short as one week. The Minister does not waste time in signing C-of-Os.”
He urged applicants to return their letters of acceptance, submit passport photographs, provide traceable addresses and ensure full payment.
“Generation of remita number is not payment. Invoice is not the same thing as receipt,” he warned.
The Director also confirmed that enforcement against illegal property conversions will begin shortly.
He warned that, “The administration will do its enforcement on those properties and that could include sealing of the properties, revocation of the titles, and anything else,” adding that ground rent defaulters were also expected to comply.
“These monies are used to provide infrastructure and maintain the city that we are all proud of. We need these monies to be able to do that,” he said.
