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Ante-Natal Care Is Free In FCT Hospitals – Mai
Written by By Augustine Aminu, Abuja
Now that Government and Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) are striving tirelessly in their pursuit to ensure that maternal mortality in Nigeria is reduced to the barest minimum, the General Manager of the Federal Capital Territory Hospital Management Board, Dr. Muhammadu Ali Mai has revealed that ante-natal care services in general hospitals in FCT is free except those in the city areas.
Dr. Mai who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in his Area 11 Office in Abuja said that, out of eleven general hospitals spread across the FCT, only three in the city area charge for the ante-natal care services, the measure he said, is a deliberate effort to discourage influx of patients from satellite towns where similar hospitals are located to the city areas with the same level of treatment.
"FCT has eleven general hospitals and out of these eleven, only the hospitals in the city areas such as Asokoro, Maitama and Wuse charge for ante-natal care. The remaining eight in the satellite towns like Gwagwalada, Kuje, Bwari, Nyanya among other enjoy free ante-natal care. You can ask anybody around to confirm what I am saying," he said.
Dr. Mai further disclosed that FCT Hospital Management Board is working seriously to expand the scope of service to satellite hospitals so as to reach out to every nook and cranny of Abuja and its environs.
His words, "We are trying to expand services in satellite hospitals because we recognize that a lot of people live in those areas. You don't have to come to Asokoro or Wuse or Maitama all the way from Kubwa or Bwari or Karshi for treatment. So the idea is that, we are opening gradually the services in the satellite hospitals including specialist services, consultancy in special areas of medicine, so that when you go to Kubwa, you will find a surgeon there, there is a physician, a gynaecologist and what have you there.
"People living in these areas should not be taken for granted. They should access hospital services within their immediate environment. In fact, as I am speaking to you now, Kubwa is being considered to be a fully-fledged general hospital to provide services in all the four major clinical areas and this arrangement would come to function before the middle of this year," he maintained.
Dr. Mai who became the General Manager of the Board about two years ago said that although, they have been enjoying political supports but still face challenges of inadequate funds, training of staff and need to increase the numbers of staff so as to be able to use the new facilities that are coming on board soon.
"The challenges we have been facing is that of insufficient funding, inadequate staff and training among others. But for the fact that we have been enjoying political support, that makes it possible for us to achieve a lot. We were able to put up new facilities, engaging more staff and introduced new services that have been in place", he noted.
In the areas of emolument and other allowances of the staff, Dr. Mai stated that, although FCT is like a state, but FCT Hospital Management Board is paying its health workers according to the federal salary scale approved by the federal government, stressing that FCT health workers enjoy the condition of service of health workers in federal teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.
According to him, the new salary structure that has been approved for health workers and medical practitioners will be paid as soon as the FCT budget is passed with effect from January, 2010.
"As I am speaking to you now, there is a budget for the new salary structure that has been approved for health workers and medical practitioners, as soon as FCT budget is passed, the package would be paid," he said.
Source: Leadership, 2nd May 2010.
FCT lifts embargo on land allocation, development control approvals
From Terhemba Daka, Abuja
THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator. Bala Mohammed, has lifted the embargo on land allocated and development control approvals from January 2007 to date.
The minister announced the move while inaugurating a 12-member Ministerial Investigation Committee on Land Administration in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
Mohammed said the exercise was done in public interest to enable genuine landowners take possession and complete all necessary processes.
His words: "We are very sensitive to the public outcry and would therefore not want them to suffer undue hardship for the mistake of others."
Mohammed remarked that the government suspended land allocations in FCT due to widespread protests trailing recent land allocations in the territory for various purposes including residential, commercial and mass housing.
"It was against the backdrop of the perceived lapses, I had to order internal investigation into land administration in the FCT from 2007 till date," he added.
According to him, "the investigation became necessary after briefings by officials and preliminary reports which revealed deficiencies and abuse of executive powers in the system."
The minister decried that among the detected problems were active involvement of unauthorised persons in the land allocation process, ineffectiveness of the Land Use and Allocation Committee, allocations in mass housing without regard to the Federal Executive Council approved guidelines.
The minister recalled that some of the actions taken since the suspension of land allocation were sending on compulsory leave the director of lands, the deeds registrar and some other officials in order to create a conducive atmosphere for investigation of allegations by the committee of experts inaugurated recently.
The minister revealed that the committee which was to submit its report in three weeks was expected to conduct verification exercise on all land allocations made from 2007 to date and mass housing allocations from 2004 to date with a view to sorting out and arresting the prevalence of multiple allocations, forgery and abuse of records at the Land Registry and the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS).
Mohammed stated that the committee was to recommend ways of repositioning AGIS to provide credible land data, plugging loopholes for fraud and leakage as well as establishing a sound institutional framework, good condition of service to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability.
He emphasised that the committee was to investigate and reappraise the land revenue collection mechanisms with a view to recommending a foolproof system that would improve generation and efficiency.
The minister charged the committee to also recommend ways of coordinating the operations of land related departments that would address such issues as changes in the land-use and workout modalities of establishing the office of the surveyor-general of the FCT, in addition to recommending ways of establishing an efficient Deeds Registry in Land Department for enhanced service delivery.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Sa'idu Dansadau, promised to honestly and diligently discharge their duty to the best of their ability having in mind the interest of the FCT and the nation at large.
He thanked the minister for the opportunity given him and members of the committee.
The 12-members are Mr. Sa'idu Dansadau-chairman and Ms. Jumai Kwanashe- secretary; with Mr. Gambo Umar, Mr. Toachi Ucheadu, Ms. Stella Aduah Ogiemwonyi, Mrs. Helen Oloja, Mr. Osita Abalowa, Mr. Dan Kunle, Alhaji Lawal Mijinyawa, Mr. Peter Okolo, Alhaji Sabo Ago and Mr. Odesunmi as members.
Source: The Guardian, 29th April 2010.
Govt Suspends Fraudulent FCT Land Allocations
From Terhemba Daka, Abuja
CITING deficiencies, abuse of delegated authorities and misuse of public trust by the Aliyu Modibbo Umar as well as the Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero-led administrations in Abuja, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate suspension of all land allocation processes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until further notice.
To this end, all forms of transactions, payments and transfers in respect of plots allocated from January 2007 to date, including Development Control approvals are suspended until further notice by the Federal Government.
It said: "All lands wrongly allocated to individuals irrespective of status stand suspended. I am here with a mission and I take it as a challenge. What I want to bequeath to Nigerians is a legacy, and I don't want to waste anybody, but nobody should take this particular regime for granted because we are not guided by ego or by materialism or by political ambition.
"We emerged from a doctrine of necessity and we intend to work assiduously towards making sure we reposition both the polity and the bureaucracy towards sustainability. We are not here for cheap publicity or for personal aggrandisement".
Jonathan who was represented by the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed at a late evening press conference in Abuja yesterday said the decision was predicated on the federal government's confirmation of a land scam and widespread problems associated with land administration in the FCT.
Specifically, he said the FG discovered the active involvement of unauthorised persons in fraudulent land allocation process without regard to the Land Use and Allocation Committee of the FCT as well as various forms of allocations in Mass Housing without regard to the Federal Executive Council approved guidelines.
According to the Acting President, the government also discovered glaring lopsidedness in land allocations resulting in a situation where allocations to applicants were based on selfish and personal interests, including "Bank Draft Payment Scam in the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), where certain officials have succeeded in exploiting loopholes in the billing system to defraud the government".
"File scam of AGIS and Land Department, where some land speculators have been able to break through the electronic system with active connivance of AGIS staff to duplicate genuine allocations and obtain Certificate of Occupancies C of Os ahead of genuine applicants.
"The need to address all these problems and abuses has made it imperative to suspend all land allocation processes in the FCT. This will enable the administration take stock of committed and uncommitted plots with a view to ensuring due process and equity as well as correct the systemic lapses.
"This does not translate to revocation of allocations as all allocations and Development Control Approvals made in line with due process would be sustained", he said.
The President called on Nigerians to refrain from open market land transactions in the FCT until directed by the federal government.
Source: The Guardian, 16th April 2010.
FG Revokes Land Allocations in Abuja
By Ozioma Ubabukoh
All plots improperl allocated in the Abuja Federal Capital Territory from 2007 to date have been revoked by the Federal Government, the minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed said.
The revocation, according to the minister, followed the discovery of fraudulent activities in the Abuja geography Information System and Land Department.
Mohammed said all forms of transactions, payments and transfers in respect of plots allocated within the time frame, including Development Control approvals, were suspended until further notice.
The minister said the action was taken due to the need to address the problems and abuses associated with land allocations in the FCT.
According to him, "This will enable the administration take stock of committed and uncommitted plots with a view to ensuring due process and equity as well as correct the systemic lapses."
He blamed officials of AGIS, whom, he said, have succeeded in exploiting certain loopholes, through the Bank Draft Payment Scam, in the building system to defraud government.
Mohammed said that various file scams enabled land speculators break through the electronic system with connivance of AGIS staff to duplicate genuine allocations and obtain Certificates of Occupancy ahead of genuine applicants.
Critics have, however, suggested that the move might be a way to compensate certain cabals in government, especially as the minister refused to mention names of persons involved in various land scams.
But Mohammed said the action was not an act of vendetta against anybody.
He said, "We are doing it out of the need to provide Nigerians with the required political environment for development.
"At this stage, we can't mention the names of AGIS staff involved. We can't say how much of money was defrauded until we get to a certain level in the investigation.
"The land given to me as senator, if it is wrongly allocated, I will revoke it. Nobody should take this regime for granted. We are not here for cheap publicity or personal aggrandisement."
Source: Punch, 16th April 2010.
Abaji Chairman Insists Election Was Transparent
Written by By Chika Okeke, Abuja Wednesday, 14 April 2010 20:25
Moved by speculations in some sections of media that PDP massively rigged last Saturday election in Abaji Area Council, Abaji Council Chairman who won under the platform of PDP, Hon Musa Yahaya Mohammed has debunked the claims, saying that INEC conducted credible election in the area.
He made the assertion yesterday while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the election and the need to shun the frivolous published in a national daily (not (LEADERSHIP) reporter, which he described as blatant falsehood.
"The election results were announced in favour of PDP but our opposition, precisely AC, have lured their supporters to believe that PDP rigged the election.
"We have recorded cases of arrest made by police where some hired thugs by AC were sent to different polling units, like Manderigi, Agyana, Gurdi, Yaba, among other communities, to prevent voters from casting their votes. About 15 people were arrested in Yaba", he stated.
He maintained that there was no group known as Abaji Concerned Youth Forum calling for the cancellation of the council polls and accused the reporter who wrote the false reports as being one-sided and partisan.
Yahaya assured his supporters that his mandate to oversee the affairs of the council will not be hindered and appealed to journalists to ensure fairness in their reporting.
According to him, PDP councilor won in eight wards while the opposition won in two, saying the overwhelming victory was a reflection of the spread of his administration's projects and programmes across the 10 wards in the council.
He further lamented that a day before the commencement of the election, AC took siege in the INEC office and restricted election materials from reaching the appropriate venues at the right time.
"We were denied using the continuous voters registration process for the sake of peace, but rather resorted to the use of old voters register", he said.
It will be recalled that the council chairman polled 6,130 votes while AC polled 5,364 votes and ANPP 2,239 votes.
Source: Leadership, 15th April 2010.
Polls board wants elected mayor for FCT
From Kelechi Okoronkwo, Abuja
AS a way of fostering popular participation in democratic processes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, the board accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor last week's council elections in FCT has recommended that the office of the Minister of FCT should be replaced with an elected mayor.
The board, FCT Area Council Election Monitoring and Observation Board (FCT-ACEMOB), while presenting its interim report of the election, said it observed that the elite residing in the Abuja municipal, most especially, did not show interest in the electoral matters of the FCT because the office of the head of the FCT was not being determined by the peoples' votes.
It argues that the apathy affects all facets of democratic processes in the nation's capital.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, noted that the commission would look into the recommendations of the board.
The board further stated that if the office of the Mayor of the FCT were to be elective, people would be forced to observe the democratic processes of electing the mayor whose power in the FCT would be like those of the state executive governors.
The Chairman of the Board and former National Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeazor Akaraiwe, told Iwu that the conduct of the council polls was a development on previous elections, noting, however, that there were lack of internal democracy in the parties, voters' apathy, especially in the AMAC and poor voters' education.
Akaraiwe said: "There has to be a way of committing the residents of the FCT to the election of the government of the day in order to curb voters' apathy. The board, therefore, recommends scrapping of the office of the Minister of FCT and replacing it with an elected Mayor of Abuja and the conduct of the election of the Mayor and Area Councils elections be held the same day. An elected mayor could elicit commitments from Abuja residents," it said.
Subsequent recommendations of the board include increased education of voters, prompt payment of INEC permanent ad hoc staff tipped for election duties and establishment of call centres as voters' care units during the election period.
The report added: "There is the need to enhance internal democracy in the political parties by respecting the wishes of their membership during the primaries. Specifically, there is the need to avoid last minute substitution of candidates.
"INEC must as a matter of imperative engage political parties on a constructive dialogue on the appropriate use of funding given to them for voters' education. Specifically, it might be practical for the INEC to ask the political parties to provide a programme of action for voters' education."
"INEC should ensure prompt payment of allowances to all NYSC staff engaged in the election duty to avoid the kind of election scenario witnessed in the AMAC during the FCT elections. The board also recommends that INEC officials responsible for delayed payments be sanctioned and made public," it said.
The board said it commended the conduct of the police in the election and recommended that the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo, be given a letter of recognition together with the FCT Police Commissioner, Haruna John.
"The board commends the Police Commissioner, Haruna John, for the tactical deployment of his men during the election. The board notes CP Haruna John's willingness to go beyond calls to duty even in the face of inadequate resources. In view of the above, the board recommends that a letter of commendation be sent to the CP and to Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.
Other members of the FCT-ACEMOB include Mike Ozekhome, Olawole Fapohunda, Faruk Umar, Festus Okoye, Chinelo Iriele, Bello Fadile, Olufemi Aduwo and Anselm Okolo.
Source: The Guardian, 15th April 2010.
FCT Residents Task Local Govt Bosses on Corruption
Gwagwalada — Residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, yesterday called on the newly elected area council chairmen to embrace policies that would guarantee clean environment and curb corruption.
Some residents decried the poor attention given to environmental issues by past administrations.
Mrs Juliet Mordi, a resident of Kuje Area Council, said the level of indiscipline over environment issues in the council was alarming.
Mordi said people in Kuje engaged in improper disposal of refuse and blocked drainages in the town.
She said except adequate attention was given to environmental issues, the environmental situation might lead to the outbreak of diseases.
"The incumbent chairman of Kuje Area Council who has been returned for a second term may have worked in other areas but he never gave proper attention to environmental issues.
Vanguard, 13 April 2010.
FCT Polls: 41 Arrested over Violent Conduct
• As PDP wins 4, ANPP 2 seats
From Senator Iroegbu, From Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
No fewer than 41 persons have been reportedly arrested by the Police over alleged violent behaviour during weekend's council polls in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The FCT Police spokesman, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, disclosed that eight young men were arrested while brandishing machetes and knives in an attempt to disrupt the counting of results in Area 1 within the Abuja Municipal Area Council on Saturday evening while the police anti-terrorist squad and an Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicle had to be brought to the area.
According to Jimoh, 33 others were arrested for violently blocking the Abuja-Lokoja highway at Abaji area council while protesting the election results in the area. The protesters were said to have blocked the road and unleashed mayhem on road users, smashing car windscreens and indulging in other violent acts.
"The arrested persons are to be taken to court early this week," he said yesterday, while stressing that the police would not be bothered by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members whose protests and insistence on being paid allowances held up the election and counting process in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
In a related development, the general assessment of the entire election by members of 32 civil society observer groups who monitored the election concluded that the exercise was free and fair. "Without prejudice, the Election Day processes, as observed by us appeared free, fair and credible... We can therefore safely adjudge the FCT Area Council elections as being remarkably satisfactory," they stated in a jointly issued statement on Sunday.
The organisations whose representatives appended signatures to the statement include the Human Rights Monitor, Islamic Development Centre, Northern Patriotic Front, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Centre for Strategic Conflict Management. In their four-point recommendation, the organisations urged political parties to deploy female polling agents in future while they also advised the Federal Government to ensure the production of an Integrated Voters' Register which can capture citizens' biometric details like other national identification schemes.
Meanwhile, the result of the election into the six Area Councils of the FCT declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning four councils while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) won the remaining two area council seats. Micah Jibah of the PDP won in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Jibah of PDP defeated Tanko Yamawo of ANPP to the second place, while Vivian Anazodo of the Action Congress came third. Peter Yinusa Ushafa of the PDP won election into the Bwair Area Council.
His closet rival was the ANPP candidate. Also declared winner is the incumbent of the Kuje Area Council, Danladi Zhin, who beat Samuel Lanto of the ANPP. The incumbent Chairman of the Abaji Area Council, Musa Yahaya Mohammed of the PDP was also declared winner of the election .The remaining two Area Councils of Gwagwalada and Kwali went to the ANPP. Zakari Angulu of Gwagwalada was declared winner and ANPP candidate won the Kwali Area Council election. All the results in the six area councils were released by the various returning officers to the six area councils.
A breakdown of some results confirmed by Okezie Nwankwo, the INEC FCT Public Relations Officer shows that the PDP candidate, Mr. Micah Jiba, won the AMAC seat with 14, 600 votes. The electoral officer, Mr Musa Usman, announced the result. In Kuje Area Council, Mr Danlado Zhin of PDP was declared winner with 12, 349 votes, while Mr Samuel Lanto of ANPP came second with 5, 088 votes. Mr Peter Yinsua Ushafa of PDP won with 10,304 votes in Bwari Area Council, while ANPP's Yahaya Isa scored 4, 815 votes to emerge second. ANPP's Zakari Angulu received 10,990 out of the 71,055 votes cast in Gwagwalada Area Council to emerge the winner of the chairmanship poll. Nwankwo said that PDP won in Abaji, while ANPP won in Kwali.
FCT INEC said that the details of the results of the chairmanship and councillorship election into the six area councils would be released Monday. However, youths of Abaji Area Council yesterday blocked the road linking Lokoja and Abuja for over four hours, as they protested the declaration of Mohammed of the PDP, who was declared the winner of the Abaji area council election.
The FCT Area Council election was marred by voter apathy and protest by members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) who were protesting none payment of their allowances for their services as polling officials. In a related development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has scored INEC low in its conduct of the council polls.
The Commission noted that election started late in some areas, especially in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and the hot weather made many voters disenchanted due to the unnecessary delay. It also noted that many voters were disenfranchised when they couldn't find their names on the voters register. The commission, in a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja commended the various security agencies for the prompt arrival of their agents to polling booth although they were not properly equipped with security gadgets. THISDAY crew, however last Saturday observed that most of the polling booths especially in Kwali, Abaji and Gwagwalada Area Councils were not adequately manned with some having only two policemen on duty.
Source: This Day, 12th April 2010.
At Abuja Fair, Stakeholders Call For Infrastructure, Policy Change
The 5th edition of Abuja International Trade Fair began last week with stakeholders calling on the Federal Government to ensure the provision of infrastructure that would make business profitable, while also urging the change of some policies to ensure overall development of the nation.
Some of the requests made by the business community are stable power supply, efficient transport system and security of life and property. First Deputy President of the Chamber, Dr. Solomon Nyagba, said the nation's refineries should be run by the private sector, while government channel its energy to security by equipping the police and law enforcement agencies.
He added that some management policies should be changed. These policies, according to him, should fix professionals with the right duties. "During the last 10 years, the power sector had gone through very deep crises, yet during this same period, all the supervising ministers of power have been non-engineers. This situation is bound to compound effective and efficient management of the current energy crises in the country," he said.
Nyagba commended the ongoing economic reforms programme of government, stating that this would have to be sustained and improved upon so the country can achieve its Vision 20:2020 dream. He appealed to the government and stakeholders to come to the aid of the Chamber so the next fair would be held at the trade fair complex on Airport Road.
President, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr. Simon Okolo, in his goodwill message at the opening ceremony of the fair, said the theme, Economic Reforms as Panacea to Restoring Investors' Confidence, was timely, given government's efforts at reforming the various sectors of the economy as well as providing incentives to woo foreign investors.
In line with this objective, he implored government at all levels to enhance and develop the private sector by putting in place appropriate and effective enabling policies and programmes that would make business thrive in the country.
Source: The Guardian, 11th April 2010.
Peaceful Atmosphere, Impressive Turnout Mark FCT Council Polls
Complaints Trail Voter Register
CHAIRMANSHIP and Councillorship elections were yesterday held in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja in an atmosphere, which was generally considered to be peaceful.
Unlike similar elections in the past, yesterday's election witnessed an impressive turnout of voters, especially at the suburbs of the Abuja.
The election started as early as 8 am in most polling stations. Except in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), which witnessed low turn out of voters, there was a good number of people who queued up to vote in most of the polling units.
Sixteen political parties fielded candidates for yesterday's election; but at the pooling stations, only four parties were on ground, as others did not have their agents on ground.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Action Congress (AC) and the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP)
There was an indication that the result of the election might be counted at the polling units, as the agents and INEC workers said they had an instruction that the ballot should be counted at each polling units.
However, there were complaints of irregularities in the voter registers, as some voters, whose names appeared on the voters' list, posted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the stations few days earlier, could not see their names on the register being used by INEC officials.
However, the hitch in the register did not cause chaos in the voting process since affected voters, who could present adequate evidence of eligibility, such as voter card, were allowed to vote.
Voters, party agents and INEC officials said the voting process was peaceful.
Those, whose names appeared in the list posted at the unit's walls but did not appear on the voter register were also allowed to vote with a 'Tender Ballot Paper.'
For instance, at polling units visited by The Guardian at Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils, including Vocational Training Centre, Kuje, LEA Primary School, Cingiri Kuje, LEA Primary Kiyi Kuje, LEA Primary School Chukuku Kuje, Unit 001, 002, 003, 004, there were complaints of shortcomings in the voter registers.
A voter in LEA Primary School, Cingiri, Kuje, Mohammed Ibrahim, said: "There is a mix-up here. Some people could not see their names in the voter register; but their names are in the list posted at the wall. That is the problem we are having here."
Addressing the challenge during the inspection tour, INEC Chairman, Prof Maurice Iwu, said the situation whereby a voter might not see his or her name, the voters register was visualised by the INEC, saying it was the reason for a provision for the Tender Ballot Paper.
He said the affected people should be allowed to vote, at the end of the voting process, the electoral officers, together with party agents, would decide what they would do with the Tender Ballots.
"The Electoral Officer is the one in charge. At the end of the voting process, the party agents and the electoral officers will decide what to do with the Tender Ballots but what the Electoral Officer says is the final," Iwu said.
Addressing party agents in each of the units visited, Iwu reminded them that the result of the election should be counted at the pooling stations, with all party agents as witnesses.
"You are aware that the result of the election should be counted here before it is taken to the collation centers. What happens at the collation centers is just adding up of figures from each of the units. At the collation centers, no one is allowed to touch any figure from the units," he added.
Also at the same unit in Kuje, agents of All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) complained that they were taken unawares by the INEC in their designation of polling stations. While the PDP agents said there was no manipulation in the designation of the units, ANPP agents said the INEC officials did not invite them to the meeting, where the units were named.
Usman Abubakar of ANPP said: "The election has been going on peacefully, since morning till now, but the problem we have here is that our members do not know the units they are supposed to go to vote. That is why many of them could not see their names. The INEC did not invite us to the briefing to tell us about the units. Our members are just running here and there," he said.
Residents of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) had observed the election by shutting down most of their commercial activities.
Through out the voting period, there was scanty movements within the Abuja metropolis. There were no commercial vehicles, and few private individuals were seen on the streets. People who came out to the streets had to trek long distances due to restriction of movement.
Source: The Guardian, 11th April 2010.
Minister, police allay fear over FCT council polls
From Alifa Daniel, Terhemba Daka and Kelechi Okoronkwo, Abuja
AHEAD of tomorrow's area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, has assured that adequate security and logistics have been put in place to ensure hitch-free polls.
Mohammed, while fielding questions from journalists after a meeting with the FCT Mandate Secretaries, Directors and other principal officers in Abuja yesterday, disclosed that the administration has already put in place watertight security measures in collaboration with other agencies to forestall any untoward development during the polls tomorrow.
He said another meeting will also hold today with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other major stakeholders to fine-tune arrangements in line with the major policy thrust of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan of enshrining and bequeathing a vibrant and transparent electoral process.
While also assuring of a level playing field during the polls, the FCT Minister called on all contenders in the elections to exercise restraint, adding that elections into political positions in the country should not be a do-or-die affair.
Also, Abuja politicians preparing for tomorrow's elections have been told by top security chiefs that they must not do anything to disturb the peace in Abuja because the Federal Government was planning to use it as a test-case in its preparations for the 2011 national elections.
In separate meetings with politicians contesting the chairmanship and councillorship elections and other stakeholders in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji councils, the security chiefs that included Directors of the State Security Service (SSS), Commissioner of Police, disclosed that they were aware that some politicians had recruited thugs from neighbouring states with dangerous weapons.
"We were told to disarm the thugs and pay their way back to where we brought them or face the full force of the law", a source at one of the meetings said yesterday.
"One of the security directors who spoke at one of the meetings told us that a new consignment of 5,000 of policemen were brought in to join the 6,000 on ground to make a total of 11,000. He added that their operatives would also be on ground and they will meet any attempt at violence with force and quell any situation that arises", the source added.
According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Steve Manya, the date for the election would not be shifted as the INEC had put everything on ground to conduct the polls.
Source: The Guardian, 9th April 2010.
Anti-polio scheme Kicks Off In Abuja Today
THE Rotary International Pan-African initiative - Kick Polio Out Of Africa Soccer Ball project meant to create awareness and support for all efforts to immunise the more than 85 million African children aged under five years and end polio on the continent, will hold in Abuja today in continuation of its journey.
The event, which is coming now that the dream of ending polio transmission in Africa is close to becoming a reality, is targeted at the World Cup Competition holding in South Africa.
A statement by 13 Chairman of Rotary National Polioplus Committee, Busuyi Onabolu, indicated that the project was launched on Rotary's International 105th anniversary in Cape Town, South Africa on February 23, 2010 with the symbolic kicking of a ball by Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who himself had polio as a child, and has joined Rotary's campaign as polio goodwill ambassador.
The ball has already travelled through nine African countries of South Africa, Angola, DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic and from Cameroun, it will come to Abuja today until it is kicked out of Nigeria on April 13 2010.
Source: The Guardian, 10th April 2010.
FCT Council Polls: Over 20,000 Security Persons For Todays Election
Written by By Stanley Nkwocha, Chizoba Ogbeche, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Abuja
Opposition Parties Form Alliance || Minister Berates INEC || Over 20,000 security persons from both the police and Civil Defence Corps have been deployed for the Council polls of the Federal Capital Territory today. These comprise 11,000 policemen and 10,000 Civil Defence workers.
Chairmen and their respective of Kuje, Abaji, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Bwari and the Abuja Municipal Council, AMAC, are due to be elected. This is just as opposition parties in a bid to check the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have formed an alliance.
A press release signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, and made available to leadership weekend disclosed that the officers and men were drawn from the Force Headquarters, Zone 7 headquarters, as well as Benue, Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
The Police, he said, would execute its mandate to protect the rights and civil liberties of all citizens involved either in voting or conducting the elections before, during and after the exercise.
Key and vulnerable infrastructure, it said, would receive adequate security attention while the exercise lasted, warning that the full wrath of the law would be visited on troublemakers.
Onovo, the release went on, assured Nigerians that the police would build on lessons learnt from the successes recorded in the recently-concluded elections in Osun, Edo and Anambra States even as he urged Nigerians to cooperate with the police and the electoral umpire to build the nation's democracy to enviable heights.
Similarly, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Haruna, has announced that the deployed officers are a combination of Police Mobile Force (PMF), Police Anti-Terrorist squad (ATS), Police Bomb Disposal Squad, mounted troops, conventional police as well as undercover policemen.
The Command, Haruna said, would be working in conjunction with Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to enforce the restriction of movement of persons and vehicles throughout the FCT from 8am to 3pm, excluding those on essential services and other duties relating to the conduct of the election.
According to him, elaborate security arrangements have been made by the command alongside other security and safety agencies, in line with standards prescribed in the Electoral Act 2006, for the provision of adequate protection and safety of electoral officers, election materials, the polling units and the general electorate in all the 63 wards and 1249 polling units in the FCT.
No fewer than five policemen and five others from security/safety services, he said, would be deployed to every polling booth, adding that all officers involved in the exercise would wear a uniform identification tag that would be very conspicuous and inscribed with security codes.
Political office-holders, the police boss said, would not be allowed to go to voting areas or collation centres with police escorts or any forms of escorts during the election, noting that police patrol teams would be deployed to cover major routes in all the electoral wards to prevent infiltration of thugs and other miscreants from other areas.
Haruna added that all the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and the Area Commanders (AC) have been put on the alert to arrest such mischief-makers, noting that some arrests had already been made and the suspects were awaiting prosecution after investigations were concluded.
Also, over 10,000 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been deployed to monitor and ensure a violence-free exercise.
The corps helmsman, Dr. Ade Abolurin, who admonished actors from the various political parties to conduct themselves responsibly during the exercise, stated that he had ordered the deployment of 10,000 personnel for effective security coverage of sensitive and non-sensitive polling materials, INEC officials and the electorate who would be exercising their fundamental human rights.
He emphasized that his intelligence officers had been working round the clock sequel to this time, and feelers had it that some evil-minded individuals were planning to cause chaos by hiring thugs and hoodlums from neighbouring states to unleash terror on political opponents in order to truncate the electoral process.
Abolurin, who expressed the corps' capability to ensure a peaceful and credible election atmosphere by providing adequate security for the six area councils, also disclosed that effective machinery had been put in place to ensure that the activities hoodlums were checkmated.
The CG further posited that today's election would be used as a model to judge the expectations of Nigerians for 2011 and warned that "the country cannot afford to entertain any political disaster at this critical period in our nation's history."
"Government has placed so much premium on security, hence NSCDC is duty-bound to fulfil its mandate by ensuring that residents of FCT and its environs go to sleep with their eyes closed."
Meanwhile, the new Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Bala Mohammed, yesterday berated the management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over late-coming to the venue of a stake-holders forum for today's elections
leadership weekend gathered that the meeting was slated for 3pm at the Press Centre, Radio House, Garki, Abuja. But the minister was shocked and visibly angry when he met an empty hall.
After the departure of the minister, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of FCT, Mr. Steven Manya, came to the venue and told reporters that he went to the minister's office to persuade him to return to the venue, but could not find him, and he (Manya) was told that the minister had already proceeded on another important assignment.
Mr. Manya, however, apologised for their inability to start the programme as scheduled, saying "I went to apologise to the minister, they told me that he has dashed to another assignment".
"The commission has ensured a level-playing field for all the political parties in the FCT. We need your active cooperation," Manya added.
Also speaking, the national commissioner in charge of FCT and other states, Prince Adedeji Sowemi, said that those who have the voter card without their names in the register will be allowed to vote. He said that the issue of candidacy that has resulted in internal crises will not affect the elections.
"If you have your genuine voter's card, you will be allowed to vote. If your name is not in the voter's main register and you hold a genuine voter's card, you will be allowed to vote. We in INEC are optimistic that the elections will be transparent, credible, free and fair," he said.
The executive secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Alhaji Husseini Halilu Pai, while reacting to the restricted movement of people during the voting hours as declared by the FCT Minister, said that there will be an entrance examination into the Nigerian Air Force School on that day for which Abuja has a centre. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Manya, said that they would contact the security agencies to allow the pupils to sit for the examination.
The exams, leadership weekend gathered, starts by 9am at Government Day Secondary School, Area 10, Abuja
INEC, however, declined to disclose the total number of polling units and ballot boxes prepared for the elections. Manya said that movement would be restricted from 8am till 3pm when collation starts. He said the restriction in movement would not affect foreigners.
In a related development, the FCT Election Monitoring and Observation Board has described the fact-finding assessment of the pre-electoral landscape of the FCT local government area elections as satisfactory, even as it identified some potential flashpoints.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the chairman of the board, Ikeazor Akaraiwe Esq, said the campaigns by the political parties were generally free of pressure, intimidation and harassment, an indication that Saturday's election may be free of any serious incidents.
Ikeazor, however, described the situation in Abaji Area Council as 'near violent rallies', where supporters of some political parties were being armed with bows, arrows and machete chanting war songs and causing vehicular traffic in the area for about two hours.
He noted that Bwari Area Council may present a security challenge during the election, adding that a number of other potential flashpoint areas like Roboshi, Abaji, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Kuje were identified.
The board called on the Nigeria Police to take additional measures in these areas to ensure adequate protection of voters and electoral staff.
The board disclosed that a total of 16 political parties will be contesting the elections with a total of 2,582 personnel deployed by INEC for the exercise.
According to the election monitoring board, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct election in 636 polling units comprising 613 gazetted polling units and 23 other satellite polling units.
The board welcomed the arrangement put in place by INEC to ensure early distribution of materials across the FCT. It also expressed happiness about the decision to commence the distribution of sensitive materials in the presence of agents of all the parties.
It further commended the commitment of INEC to achieve a free and transparent electoral process and willingness of its national and FCT officials to implement solutions to the challenges identified.
Ahead of the election, ten opposition political parties had agreed to forge an alliance which would see them pull an upset against the ruling PDP.
According the opposition parties under the umbrella of the CNPP, this would be the only way to muscle out the PDP which they had accused of forming an unholy alliance with INEC.
Of the 16 political parties that will contest the election, the 10 political parties in the alliance include AC, DPA, APGA, ANPP, NCP, PRP, ARP, CPN, PAC, and NSDP.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, which had representatives from various political parties, the spokesman of the CNPP, Osita Okechukwu, who also represented the CPC, noted that the ten parties had agreed to shelve their party interests and vote for any of the ten parties in councils and wards where they have stronger dominance.
"We have entered into an alliance. Wherever any of our parties is stronger we will vote for them. This is the only way we can stop the PDP," he said.
Calling for the removal of Iwu, Osita further alleged that the INEC boss intended to use the FCT election to compensate the PDP for their loss in the February 6 Anambra elections. He added that it was one of the desperate moves by the INEC boss to secure his job.
While appealing for a free and fair election, Osita stressed that they had monitored the posting and recruitment of adhoc staff for the FCT elections by INEC and had discovered that the process reeked of compromise.
Meanwhile, following the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court, which held and affirmed Mr. Peter Yohana as the PDP candidate in the April 10, 2010 Council elections in Bwari Area Council, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince (Dr.) Vincent Ogbulafor, OFR, has declared that he had been vindicated.
There had been a tussle over who was the PDP candidate for the council, after a petition was written to INEC from the PDP secretariat not to recognize the candidature of Peter Yohana. However after an investigation into the petition, the national chairman wrote to the INEC to recognize the candidature of Yohana.
But speaking through his spokesman, Edmonds Chijioke Adindu, he said that with the pronouncement of Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court the national chairman has been vindicated.
Source: Leadership, 10th April 2010.
Abaji Gets Multi-Million Naira Health Centre
Written by By Catherine Agbo
Health care services, especially maternal and child health, are set to improve in Abaji area council as the Federal Capital Territory Administration has commissioned and handed over a multi-million naira primary health care (PHC)facility to the area council.
The health centre according to the permanent secretary of the administration Dr. Goke Adegoroye, was constructed and fully equipped at the cost of N 51, 624, 384: 78K.
The permanent secretary during the inauguration explained that the health care centre was anchored on the need to decongest secondary health facilities as most of the common illnesses being attended to there could be handled in the PHCs effectively.
He called on the community leaders to team up with the area council to evolve a workable mechanism that would ensure the successful utilisation and management of the centre, and work hard to protect the equipment put in there, as well as ensure that the people gain maximum benefits from the centre.
In her address, Secretary of the FCT health and human services secretariat Dr. Precious Gbeneol urged the people of Abaji to reciprocate government gesture by using the health care facility to cater for their health care needs especially for antenatal and post natal health care.
The project manager Dr. Jamilu Isa Yankwashi in his address noted that the achievements would not be possible but for the political support of the FCT administration and World Bank especially in the areas of funding and facilitating the processes of project implementation.
The Ayaura, Abaji primary health care centre is the sixth of its kind successfully constructed and fully equipped by the World Bank-assisted FCT Health systems Development Project II in the FCT.
Source: Leadership, 2nd April 2010
Abuja Under The Weight Of Religion And Politics
From Martins Oloja (Abuja Bureau Chief)
ACTING President Goodluck Jonathan's administration is being bogged down by religious consideration in Nigeria's fragile and volatile federation.
This is coming barely 17 years after Nigeria posted a Moslem-Moslem ticket in a presidential election generally believed to have been the best in the history of the country.
On June 12, 1993, Chief MKO Abiola, a Muslim of Southwest extraction, went to the polls on the same ticket with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, another Muslim from the Northeast.
The joint Abiola/Kingibe ticket won the election on the platform of the Social Democratic Patty (SDP). However, the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida cancelled the polls.
While Nigerians are still wondering what the colour of the new cabinet will look like, the Jonathan interim presidency is reportedly facing a crushing revolt from powerful religious bigots who "use public office to fan embers of religious disharmony in the polity."
Top administration officials at the weekend told The Guardian that the Acting President, whose profile is said to have risen by recent bold steps, has been "very concerned about the developments that have religious connotation."
The said developments cut across the Presidency, the security network, the crisis in Plateau State and the control of the administration of the FCT.
"The problem at hand is a delicate mix of politics and religion," a respondent said in Abuja at the weekend.
Specifically, the intrigue playing out is as follows:
Amidst tension in Abuja last week where security concerns about Plateau State dominated discussions, it was learnt that a former Director-General of the State Security Service, retired Col. Kayode Areh may be brought in to strengthen the National Security Adviser's Operations Department.
A Presidency source said that the retired Colonel from military intelligence, who is generally believed to be very close to the NSA, General Aliyu Gusau may be re-appointed very soon "to address some security challenges in the country."
The possible return of Areh, a Moslem from Ogun State, emerged as intense lobbying continue for replacement of two top intelligence and security chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo and the Director-General of State Security Service, Mr. A. Afakriya Gadzama.
Both are Christians from Enugu and Borno respectively.
Interestingly, one of the contenders for the SSS top job has been a retired Director of SSS, a Christian from Kogi State. He was quite visible at the Oputa Panel where he presented the Service's position. He retired barely two years ago from the Service when Mr. Gadzama assumed office.
Similarly, another lobbyist for the top spy job is a serving Director of the Service in the Headquarters, who has been spotted in high quarters, making a strong case against his boss, Gadzama, who was picked in 2007 by President Yar'Adua against all odds.
Some defenders of certain faith had seriously advised President Yar'Adua against the choice of Gadzama, but Yar'Adua was defied the hidden persuaders and okayed him following the advice of the then NSA, Major-General Sarki Mukhtar (Rtd), who also found nothing wrong in Gadzama.
As for Onovo, trouble began for the Enugu-born police officer when former Police Affairs Minister, Ibrahim Lame, began to undermine his authority about the Jos crisis.
The development that led to a recent public condemnation of the IGP Onovo and the entire police force by the former minister, who, like Onovo, was a former NDLEA Chief Executive.
But surprisingly, at the hour-long National Security Council meeting on Monday, March 8, the last attended by Gen. Mukhtar, Acting President Jonathan was said to have sharply rebuked Lame for his indiscretion in abusing the IGP even in the presence of the media.
"This is like a Defence Minister saying to the world that the Nigerian soldiers are useless," was the way Dr. Jonathan reportedly likened Lame's view of the IGP and the police.
It was revealed to the authorities that the former Police Affairs Minister's gameplan was to demonise Onovo on the Jos crisis plane "so that he can get a new IGP of his liking from the North."
The former minister allegedly masterminded the sack of a Commissioner of Police in Plateau, who was said to have merely remarked about some Muslim youths.
Similarly, the former minister reportedly insisted at security meeting that, "If Jang is not removed as Plateau governor through a declaration of emergency, there will be no peace in Plateau...."
It was gathered that the former minister and others in this regard had earlier recommended that the former Governor of Nasarawa State, a Abdullahi Adamu, a Muslim, should be the Sole Administrator of Plateau. It was not accepted.
In the same vein, some forces are said to have intensified lobby in the Presidency to replace Gadzama under the campaign mantra: "Jos and Warri issues are a failure of intelligence. So, Gadzama must go."
But it was learnt that the Presidency is being told to exercise caution, as the campaigners for the removal of Onovo and Gadzama are religious fanatics, who want the DG SSS and IGP to be Muslims at such a time like this.
The Presidency was reportedly alarmed by a recent remark in a national publication by a former security officer to former military leader, Ibrahim Babangida.
The officer joined the fray arising from the controversial deployment of troops on February 23 when President Umaru Yar'Adua allegedly returned in the night without prior knowledge of the Acting President.
The former security chief was quoted as saying that although the Commander-in-Chief should be aware of how the Guards Brigade deployed troops, the trouble with the secrecy surrounding the controversial deployment was that "both the Inspector-General of Police and the DG, SSS are Christians."
But as the battle for the soul of Nigeria continued at the weekend, the fight for the FCT portfolio had grown in intensity.
Again, the contenders and their sponsors are not fighting on the basis of who is competent: they are arguing about where the next minister should come from.
Since 1976, only a federal commissioner, who was actually designated as "special duties commissioner," Mr. Ajose Adeogun, had been a substantive "minister" from the South. And only Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni (1993-1997 had been a Christian from the North.
Suddenly, the battle for the portfolio has been tough, as many lined up for it. They include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari and former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili.
Others are former Lagos State military governor and Nigeria's Ambassador to South Africa, Brigadier-Gen. Buba Marwa; and Mrs. Ali, wife of former PDP Chairman.
There are many religious concerns, as the last administration in the FCT allegedly worsened the imbalance it inherited there.
For instance, a day before he was removed, the former minister, Senator Adamu Aliero, reportedly inaugurated a seven-man Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal. Of the seven members, six are from the North and are Muslims. The only Christian among them is from Oyo State.
In a like manner, there was a recent war over the FCT Media Board whereby the Chairman, Yusuf Mamman (Katsina), General Manager, Radio is from Kano and the General Manager, Television is from Kebbi.
Mamman, former Press Secretary to Chief of General Staff, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (Rtd) reportedly protested to Aliero that the imbalance was terrible in a federal capital, especially when the seven-man Board then had only two southerners as members and none of them was a GM.
Meanwhile, at press time, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Dambazau, has released another shocker on religious practice in the Army.
In a response to a piece of advice by the Directorate of Military Intelligence through a memo dated March 10 and signed by the DMI Director, Major-General AT Umaru, the Chief of Army Staff directed that all soldiers, (Muslims and Christians) should henceforth worship only in the Barracks.
In a circular signed by Major-General AM Jubril for the COAS, dated March 10 and entitled, "Worship in the Approved Barracks Religious Centres," the Army Chief said:
Henceforth, "...Commanders at all levels to educate their personnel on the need to worship only in any of the three approved worship centres, as worshipping outside barracks is unauthorised.
"This is to forestall infiltration and indoctrination by some unscrupulous religious organisations bent on polarising the Nigerian Army (NA) religious cohesion.
"Henceforth, violation of this directive will be viewed seriously and violators sanctioned accordingly as security operatives have been authorised to monitor violators."
This was a rapid response to an earlier five-page memo entitled, "Security Implication of Service Personnel Worshipping outside The Barracks," dated March 10, by the DMI.
The immediate effect of this memo is that only Catholics and Anglicans in the Army can worship in the Barracks, as other Pentecostal church faithful are cut off from church service.
Source: The Guardian, 21st March 2010.
FCT: Another Niger Delta in the making
From DENNIS MERNYI, Abuja
Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are not particularly happy with the Federal Government for its alleged refusal to integrate them into the development of the territory after over 30 years.
They feel oppressed, neglected, abandoned and in fact cheated by government as they expressed displeasure with the manner government, particularly the FCT administration, has over time shown no concern about their plight since they relinquished their ancestral land for the development of the territory.
Their plight according to some of their sons and rulers is caused by the frustration they go through in the land which once belonged to their fore fathers as they have been accorded the status of not even second class citizens but the least among their 'visitors' in the scheme of things. They cite cases with appointment into the public service, boards, elective political offices, distribution of national wealth, adjudication of land use act, provision of infrastructural development, education, health and other social amenities.
Professor Paul S. Marley is the first professor of Gbagyi extraction. Gbagyi are the locals found in the FCT from creation. He is a professor of Anthropology at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. According to him, his kinsmen may not carry arms against the Federal Government in protest like the youths in the Niger Delta today but there is no guarantee that the coming generation may bear the situation if it is not promptly addressed. Excerpts:
The fears
"Maybe we, the older generation, can hold our patience for more time. But you know the younger generation wants to see result, if they don't see result they will push us away and begin to do things in their own way. That is the scenario you see in the Niger Delta today. The older generation could not achieve what they were set out to do and the younger generation felt they have to take to arms because it is the best way to achieve it. That is why we keep saying that the government of the day should listen to us, the earlier the better so that things are put in their right perspective. If things are put in their correct perspective within a short time, I'm sure this issue will not repeat itself in the federal capital. But if government continues not to bother, I'm praying, I don't wish it, I hope it will not happen, but I cannot tell. The earlier they do something about it the better.
"Compensation cannot continue to move to other places without compensation. This is akin to what the Niger Delta people are asking for, adequate compensation. We have sacrificed our land for development of FCT. We are non-violent people, we are not ready to take up arms like the Niger Delta people, but certainly we will not give up. We are same human beings as militants in the Nigeria Delta, so we can not hold our patience forever.
"First of all, you will recall that by 1976, this area of the country was not yet exposed to high level modernity in terms of infrastructure. The level of infrastructural development in this area was minimal. The roads were not tarred, and there was no airport, except for few schools (primary and secondary). So the coming of the FCT has in one sense, opened up this area. We have modern infrastructure today, we have roads, we have schools, we have almost all that can be compared with other part of the country. Basically I do believe that these are some of the gains we have gotten. The other aspect of gains has been that many of our people have had access to one point to the other in terms of political, economic and social opportunities. Some of the people have benefited in several aspects by the coming of the FCT. Basically, the gains are in these two aspects, infrastructural wise and access to education, economic and political empowerment.
"The pains are very numerous. You may understand the major characteristic of FCT indigenes is agrarian in nature. By the decree establishing the FCT all land belonging to the FCT were taken over by the Federal Government. Basically we were dispossessed of the only major economic tool that we had at our disposal. All land was taken from us; we cannot claim any land, we cannot claim any right to it. Being agrarian in nature, our people have lost out one of the most valuable things that they have in life. I have enumerated the gains in the area of political, economic and education, but these are very minimal. I want to take you back to one thing which has led to a serious pain.
By the fact the FCT has become a no man's land, there are certain political positions that the 1999 Constitution did not give to us which is creating a lot of problem for us.
"Today we cannot vote for a governor as our compatriots in other states. We do not have a state, and we cannot go to any of these states and claim that we belong to them. This simply means that we are a second tier people. We do not have 100% rights like other Nigerians. We cannot vote for a governor who will represent us. What we have is a Minister, who is the representative of the President and the President has the right to choose whosoever he wants. We do not have a say on whosoever he chooses as the Minister of the FCT. So that alienates our democratic rights. That is the major pain that we have.
"We were not compensated. It is not exactly true for one to say our people were adequately paid compensation. I want to possibly give you some figures. You will find out that by 1980 when Federal Government decided that it was going to compensate everybody in the territory and move everybody out of the territory, it made some compensatory moves and gave money to three states that constitute what is FCT today. These states are Niger , Plateau and Kwara states .
You know the Federal Capital Territory was carved from these three states. When the FG commenced the process of compensation by the end of 1980, the sum of N53.4m was given to Niger state as compensation, N25m to Plateau state and N800,1,474 only to Kwara State for resettlement of FCT. You can see that this is a very paltry sum for 200,000 people within the Federal Capital Territory.
Who are you going to compensate? That was why the FG on realising that the number of people in FCT was more than what it was initially adjudged to be, it was decided that those who wanted to go out of the territory can go out, those who want to remain can remain. For those who chose to stay, when their land or area is required for development then the person would be properly compensated and moved to a new location within the territory. That was what was agreed upon.
"Between 1980 to when the former President Ibrahim Babangida moved the capital from Lagos to Abuja, it was adjudged that all structures had already been enumerated and any new thing you put on ground will not be paid for. You can see that level of stagnation, how many years? Meanwhile families were growing in size. Families were giving birth to more children, children marrying. Yet you could not put any infrastructure in place and this gap gave us a lot of problems. That was one of the reasons that gave rise to the slow compensation race that we have today.
Even when government says that it wants to pay compensation, if you stop people from putting down infrastructure for 10 years and you want to pay them on what it was 10 or 20 years ago, you definitely know that whatever you pay them will be peanuts. With this scenario, is it not right for somebody to say that compensation has been paid compensation? Compensation has not been adequately provided, I have given you figures to that regard. Even as of today, if you go to the bulk of the city, you will find out that some of the villages are still standing, because compensation has not adequately been done.
We cannot continue to move to other places without compensation. This is akin to what the Niger Delta people are asking for adequate compensation. We have sacrificed our land for the development of FCT. We are non-violent people, we are not ready to take up arms like the Niger Delta people, but certainly we will not give up.
We shall continue to seek for proper redress. We shall continue to shout without taking guns. I'm sure there are Nigerians out there who will listen to us and say that these people have been dispossessed and therefore need to be compensated.'
How long the struggle would last? "As long as it takes. There is no time limit. We will continue as long as the problem persists, until the issues are properly redressed. It is not violent and it shall never be violent.
We don't have adequate representation in the House of Representatives, which is part of the problems that we are having. Well, let me put it like this. The 1999 Constitution gives the FCT two members of the House of Representatives, one senatorial seat, six area councils. You will agree with me that based on the population of the FCT, this is grossly inadequate. Look at the size of Abuja Municipal Council for examples. It is more than three to four local governments in some states. You find a situation where in some states, one local government will have at least one member of the House of Representatives. Yet AMAC did not have a member of House of Representatives. It is joined with Bwari area council. You find out that this provision in the 1999 Constitution is inadequate.
"That is one of the areas that the Federal Government and the National Assembly currently considering the review of the constitution should address, it is not fair on us. That is one aspect. The second aspect is talking about how many of these positions we hold. I will tell you that for the senate seat, since the creation of the senate seat the first two senators were indigenes of FCT, then the current one is also an indigene of the FCT. The current two members of the House of Representatives are members of the FCT and then all the chairmen of the area councils are indigenes. But like I have said, this is grossly inadequate. These are some of the issues that we raise in our claim of marginalisation.
So if you look at the public service generally, since the coming of democracy in 1991, no FCT indigene has become a minister. Meanwhile the 1999 constitution says that FCT should be treated like a state. But when it comes to the issue of ministerial appointments, we don't get. We have capable people for such positions. We have people in the academia, public and private services who are capable for those jobs but they don't give us. We had one or two ambassadors, the current ambassador to Gambia and the previous one. You go to other offices there is no chief executive of federal parastatal today that is from the FCT. There is no chairman of a board of any ministry or parastatal is occupied by any FCT indigenes. I'm talking about the real indigenes, not those who claim, because that it is the other aspect. You find out that there are some people who come here because FCT is for everybody, they claim positions on behalf of the FCT. We are not saying that people should not come, at least, no community develops without people coming to settle there, but at least we should be accorded our due.
"That excuse is just given for political expediency. There are many people, but because of political party considerations and other factors, you find out that they have to satisfy those who have contributed in funding their political aspirations or compensate those who play key roles in realising their political goals. I'm not saying that shouldn't be done, because it is done is the states, but justifiably we should see that there is an effort on ground that there is true representation. That is what we are talking about.
The other excuse they give is that indigenes cannot meet up the standard which some of the jobs require, that is why they are given to those from other states who claim FCT. In its stead they allocate low profile positions like messengers, cleaners and other menial jobs Are we supposed to be only hewers of wood and fetchers of water? No! Tell me. It is not suppose to be like that.
"A situation whereby you have taken something from somebody, you must be seen to make efforts in order to give something back to that person so that he will have the benefit of what you have taken from him. You cannot continue to use that argument. When did FCT come into being? 1976. Are you saying that over 30 years, FCT indigenes have not been able to build themselves to a certain degree that you have a minister come from FCT or one or two ambassadors from FCT? That you will have executives of federal parastatals from FCT? That you have directors of ministries and agencies from FCT? That is not correct. I don't believe that that excuse is tenable in 2009. It might have been tenable 10, 20 or 30 years ago, but not today.
I won't let the cat out of the bag, but I would want to say that we are making headway. The people who are supposed to attend to our demands are listening. We are getting there. Even if we are crawling, we are getting there.
Demands
"Our demands come to one point; adequate political, economic and social compensation. For political compensation, we want the right to vote for the person that will govern us. We have always said that we want a mayor in FCT, which is tenable in other parts of the world. There should be a mayor in Abuja who will govern such areas that are not directly in the city, so that we can exercise our political rights to vote for him and he will be directly responsible to us. That is one. The other aspect of political compensation is adequate representation in the House of Representatives. We need more members of House of Representatives. By the population today, you know that we need a break-up of AMAC and Bwari.
Definitely, AMAC needs more than one, we need about two. We need more area councils, particularly in AMAC. AMAC needs to be broken up in two or three area councils. So those are the political aspects. I talked about the economic. We need a reform in the land issue. We are already thinking that there should be an FCT land compensation and reparation commission. Just like Niger Delta Commission, or HYPAEDEC, so that we can put adequate value to lands in FCT and pay adequate compensation not using the Land use Act that is obsolete. That will help us economically, because as I've said our people are agrarian in nature.
"Socio-cultural and educational, yes, I told you that we have more schools now than in the past, but we need more schools. Go to any FCT schools and see the population in the class. We are talking about the range of 100 and 150 students in a class. Go to Government Secondary School here in Karu, you will weep. We also remember the news item where the minister went to Lugbe Secondary School , he was shocked. He could not believe it is FCT.
"These are some of the problems, if they are more schools just like I've said are poor, they cannot afford private schools, so our younger ones can go to school, be more educated and more equipped to face life. That is one aspect, when we talk of social economic. In the aspect of socio-cultural, I thank the administration to a very great extend because culturally, most of our traditional institutions were recognised.
"We do believe that we have reached a stage where the FCT administration has to look into these institutions with the view to either modernising these institutions or upgrading them. There is need to upgrade them because they have been there for the past 10 to 15 years and this does not augur well.
"We also feel there is need for FCT administration to establish more tertiary institutions. Our people cannot graduate from secondary school here and look out for other states for their tertiary institutions. There is a College of Education in Zuba, but that is not enough. There should be a polytechnic and why not a university of technology. These are the areas that the FCT administration should be looking into.
"May be we the older generation can hold our patience for more time. But you know the younger generation wants to see result. If they don't see result they will push us away and begin to do things in their own way. That is the scenario you see in the Niger Delta today. The older generation could not achieve what they are set out to do and the younger generation felt they have to take out arms because it is the best way to achieve it. That is why we keep saying that the government of the day should listen to us, the earlier the better so that things are put in their right perspective. If things are put in their correct perspective within a short time, I'm sure this issue will not repeat itself in the federal capital. But if government continues not to bother, I'm praying, I don't wish it, I hope it will not happen, but I cannot tell. The earlier they do something about it the better."
Source: The Sun, 2nd March 2010.
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