Tag Archives: FCT

Police Warn Against Wilful Destruction Of Property In FCT.

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The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned individuals and groups against indulging in acts that would result in the destruction of property and cause a breakdown of law and order.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, of the FCT Police command, Anjuguri Manzah.

According to the statement, the warning follows the invasion of the office of one of the telecommunication service providers at the Maitama District, by a group on February 23, 2017.

The CP while condemning the act, stated that the police would not hesitate to apply the appropriate sections of the law in the prosecution of those arrested for causing the breakdown of law and order.

The public was therefore enjoined to always adopt civil and legitimate channels in registering grievances instead of resorting to self-help and causing security breach.

 

Source: Channels TV

The Senate Committee on FCT orders evacuation of hawkers, beggars.

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The Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory has directed security agencies in Abuja to clear the city of beggars, hawkers and commercial sex workers.

Briefing journalists at the National Assembly, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Dino Melaye, said the evacuated persons would be taken to a rehabilitation centre in Bwari before they are sent to their respective states.

“We also (last week) summoned the Commissioner of Police of the FCT, and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps because we are (as a committee and the Senate, we are appall with the security situation in Abuja.

“We are very uncomfortable with the number of hoodlums on our streets in Abuja.

“You have beggars, destitute and commercial sex workers spread across every nook and cranny of the city.

“We have also asked the FCT to immediately put in order, the rehabilitation camp in Bwari that has been specifically and specially built for those arrested on the streets,” the lawmaker said.

Senator Melaye also announced plans by the committee to transfer the maintenance of street lights and environmental cleaning to banks and corporate organisations.

He noted that the banks are to take over the cleaning of streets in the city centre, as well as maintaining public facilities as part of their corporate social responsibility.

 

Source: Channels TV

BREAKING: EFCC has arrested former FCT minister Bala Mohammed over N1Tr Fraud

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Information reaching Omojuwa.Com has it that EFCC has arrested former FCT minister Bala Mohammed over controversial N1trillion land swap deal carried out between 2010-2015.

 

EFCC Sources say about 12 properties have been seized from Bala Mohammed and his son, who he allegedly used in buying many properties.

 

More details about the unfolding development will be published later.

INEC Clears Six Parties For Lagos Bye-elections, Four In FCT

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared six political parties and their candidates for the Ifako Ijaiye Federal Constituency of Lagos State bye-elections scheduled for December 3.

The commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu on Tuesday in Abuja.

The statement also disclosed that four political parties and their candidates were equally cleared for Garki Ward Councillorship of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), FCT, fixed also for the same day.

The parties and candidates cleared to contest the vacant Ifako/Ijaiye seat of Lagos state in the House of Representatives are Akinwunmi Olaitan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Babatope Akinyele of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Others are Ajiboye Olorunnisomo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Yusuf Fatai of the Action Alliance (AA), Adebayo Akanbi, Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Olugbenga Owolabi of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The seat became vacant following the death of the member who represented the constituency in the house, Mr Adewale Oluwatayo, in July.

The candidates and political parties also cleared for the Garki Ward Councillorship, AMAC, were Hamza Lima (APC) and Danladi Jezhi (PDP).

Others are Ikechukwu Nwabuaja, All Progressive Ground Alliance(APGA) and Sidiku Emmanuel of the National Conscience Party (NCP).

Credit:

http://guardian.ng/news/inec-clears-six-parties-for-lagos-bye-elections-four-in-fct/

Minister stops FIRS from revenue collection for FCT

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In line with the new act of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister, Mohammed Bello, has stopped the Federal Inland? Revenue Service from further collecting revenue for the territory.

The amended FCT Act came into being in 2015 and one of its provisions make the FCT Internal Revenue Service the sole revenue collector for the territory.

The minister, it was gathered in Abuja, has written the FIRS Chairman, Babatunde Fowler, that the services of the Federal Government’s agency were no longer required in the collection of revenue for FCT.

Reliable sources? in the FCT Administration confirmed that the minister has consequently directed the FCT Inland Revenue Services to solely be responsible for revenue collection in the territory.

Both the FCT and the FIRS had agreed based on the directive from the Presidency that the FIRS assist to jointly with FCT IRS collect revenue in the territory on behalf of the FCT Administration pending when the FCT IRS possesses the capacity.

But an informed source in the FCT Administration told InsideBusiness that the stoppage of revenue collection by FIRS was not unconnected with the 4 per cent cost of collection, which accrue to the FIRS from the revenue collected in the FCT.

Unlike the FIRS, the FCT IRS does not enjoy cost of collection.

The FCT IRS collects gross revenue of between N3 billion and N4 billion monthly, according to sources at the ministry.

“The minister has communicated with the FIRS that the FCT will be solely responsible for revenue collection from October 2016?,” the source said.

It was further learnt that a dissatisfied FIRS Chairman had put a call to the FCT Permanent Secretary, Tope Ajakaiye, on why he wasn’t informed ahead of the decision.

Fowler was told by Ajakaiye that he was just hearing the decision from him.

An official of the FCT IRS, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the FIRS was no longer collecting revenue for FCTA.

The official disclosed that by the FCT law, FIRS wasn’t supposed to collect revenue for the FCT Administration.

“The FCT IRS has the capacity to collect revenue for the FCT Administration. And we have been netting between N3 billion and N4 billion monthly,” the source stated.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the FCT Minister on Media, Sani Abubakar, said he wasn’t aware but would find out the true position and communicate.

Abubakar had not responded as at press time?.

Sources at the FIRS said the Service has not stopped completely, adding that the FCT will be collecting personal income tax and payee in the territory.

He said: “FCT IRS just started about one month ago.

“FIRS will still collect its basic collection, which include VAT, CIT, education tax and the Petroleum Products Tax.

“We got the directives to it during the current regime.

“It’s a distraction to FIRS.”

The FIRS official, who preferred anonymity, stated that the directive that the FIRS should assist FCT came from the Presidency because the territory does not have the spread and requisite expertise to handle it.

The official said: “So the arrangement is that we will assist them and stop when they have the capacity.

“It’s not a permanent arrangement, but stop gap measures.

“I think FCT is now in a position to do it now.”

FCT Police Rescue 10 Kidnapped Victims In Kuje (See Names Of Victims)

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The Police Command in FCT on Monday said it rescued 10 persons kidnapped by a gang of hoodlums in Darka village in Kuje Area Council of the FCT.

The victims are Fanus Emmanuel, Babangida Emmanuel, Akimmi Dauda, Japheth Kwasu, Dorcas Shuaibu, Kemuche IK, Hamza Yunusa, Umar Godiri, Ismaila Yusuf and Abubakar Gomo.

A statement issued by the Command’s Spokesman, ASP Anjugurin Manzah, stated that eight of the victims were rescued on Nov. 19, while the remaining two were rescued on Nov. 20 in Toto and Karu in Nasarawa State.

Manzah noted that the rescue was made possible by a joint operation by the Police Mobile Force Operatives of the command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, DSS, Nigerian Army and NSCDC.

The spokesman stated that the stronghold of the assailants who specialised in raiding remote villages at night and robbing the villagers of cash and other valuables and kidnapping was destroyed during the operation. He added that an operative of the NSCDC, ASC Anumudu Uche, who took ill, died during the operation.

He recalled that the FCT Commissioner of Police, Muhammadu Mustafa, had reassured residents and affected villages of the command’s massive deployment to forestall a recurrence. He said concerted efforts were in place to arrest the dislodged hoodlums.

Credit:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/police-fct-rescue-10-kidnapped-victims-kuje/

Rivers re-run holds Dec 10, Lagos & FCT Dec 3 – INEC

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The outstanding National and State Assembly elections in Rivers State will be conducted on December 10, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday in Abuja.

 

Mrs Auguta Ogakwu, Secretary to the commission in a statement said that the commission had also approved December 3 to conduct election for the vacant Ifako/Ijaiye seat of Lagos State in the House of Representatives.

The seat became vacant following the death of the member who represented the constituency in the House, Mr Adewale Oluwatayo, in July.

 

On the same day, according to the statement, the commission will also conclude rescheduled councillorship polls in some area councils in the Federal Capital Territory.

“After months of intensive planning and wide consultations, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday approved the conduct of Lagos’ House of Representative election on Saturday, Dec 3, 2016.

 

“Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Councillorship election will also hold on Saturday, Dec 3, 2016.

 

“Rivers, National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) and State House of Assembly elections on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016,” the statement said.

NDLEA Seizes Over 2,000kg Of Cocaine, Cannabis In FCT

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The National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA), FCT Command, seized over 2,000kg of cannabis sativa, cocaine and other illicit drugs in October. The NDLEA, FCT Commander, Mrs Chinyere Obijuru, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a media briefing.

She said that the seizures were made possible by the agency’s intensified fight against drug trafficking in and around the FCT.

“The NDLEA under the leadership of Col. Mustapha Abdallah (rtd) remains committed to its mandate of eradicating drug- related crimes in the nation,’’ she said.

Mr Peter Adegbe, the command’s Public Relations Officer, who took journalists on an inspection of the seized drugs, said that most of the drugs were seized at Abaji, FCT. He said that the agency seized 1,799kg of cannabis sativa concealed in a compartment of a truck on Oct. 27 at Abaji. Adegbe said that the truck, heading for Yola from Edo, was intercepted in the FCT through the vigilance and professionalism of NDLEA officers on duty.

He said that the NDLEA also arrested a suspect with 76.2g of cocaine worth over two million naira on Abaji while the suspect was trying to smuggle the substance into the FCT.

The spokesperson said the agency equally arrested two men each with 49kg of cannabis sativa on the same route while trying to smuggle the banned drug into the FCT. He said collaboration of NDLEA with other agencies had begun to yield fruits, with the Nigerian Army Brigade of Guards intercepting a Toyota Corolla Vehicle with 16 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 156.5kg on Oct. 31.

Adegbe added that the agency also seized cartons and bottles of cough syrups with codeine and tramadol during raids in FCT in October. He said that the agency would continue to carry out anti-narcotics offensive in a bid to rid the FCT of drug trafficking and barons.

He called on FCT residents to be vigilant and report any drug activity in their neighbourhood to the nearest NDLEA office.

Credit:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/ndlea-seizes-2000kg-cocaine-cannabis-fct/

EFCC Arrests Ex-FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.

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BALA Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

At Press time, details of Mr. Mohammed’s arrest remained sketchy, but sources confirmed he was arrested and was at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday night.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for comment late Monday.

No New Land Allocations For Now – FCT minister

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration has resolved not to allocate new plots of land until infrastructure was provided in new areas, The Minister of the FCT, Muhammad Bello, has said.

Bello said this when he received a delegation of the Catholic Community, led by the Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said: “The present administration will not give new allocations either now or in the near future until such areas or districts are clearly provided with the best complements of infrastructure.”

The minister said the policy was not aimed at stifling development, but to ensure that development goes the way it should be.

He said: “That is by providing for the best possible infrastructure before allocations are made so that issues like land speculation or double allocation are discouraged.”

Bello, however, said lands earmarked for compensation for wrongs done or as part of amicable resolution of disputes were exempted from the arrangement, adding that the administration would give priority to these exceptions.

The minister further said the administration would be fair in the allocation of plots earmarked for religious worship centres in the Abuja Master Plan.

The Abuja Master Plan, he noted, made provision for the need of every sector in the society, stressing that plots meant for worship centres would be equitably allocated among all religions.

He said: “Despite the huge demand for land, this administration will try to ensure that plots meant for religious organisations are left for that purpose so that everybody is given a sense of belonging in the territory.

“The planners of Abuja have made plots available for religious bodies in all of the districts in the capital city and this administration intends to implement its land allocation policy based on this plan.

“I think this is standard practice.

“For every district, there are religious plots that cater for all the faiths.”

Bello urged religious bodies and other residents of the FCT to embrace out-of-court settlement of land-related disputes, to reduce the time expended in seeking resolutions at the courts, which retards development of the FCT.

Earlier, Onaiyekan had thanked the minister for encouraging the inter-religious seminar that afforded religious leaders in the FCT to rub minds.

Buhari Signs N241.5b FCT Budget

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President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2016 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja Appropriation Act, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, has said.

Enang said President Buhari assented to N241.5 billion 2016 FCT budget as passed by the National Assembly.

A statement issued by the presidential aide did not however say when the fiscal document was signed.

Enang said “The legal implantation of the budget, therefore comes into effect, which will result in employment in the formal sectors and informal sectors through projects implementation and employment there from arising.”

On budget of statutory corporations and agencies, Enang said some Nigerians have asked questions on the legal and legislative grounds for laying of the budget of statutory corporations before the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

Credit:

Buhari signs N241.5b FCT budget

FCT Minister Strips FHA Building Approval Powers

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, has directed the Development Control Department of the FCT Administration to take full responsibility for building plan approvals and construction supervision in the territory, in accordance with extant regulations.

The minister gave this directive in reaction to Thursday incident of building collapse in Gwarinpa.

He reminded the department that in line with the provisions of Section 7, Sub-section 1-3 of the FCT Act of 1976 and Part II, Section 27-41 of the Nigeria Urban & Regional Planning Law of 1992 amended in 1999, “no person or body is authorised to carry out any development within the FCT without the written approval of the FCT Department of Development Control.”

Bello also directed the department to ensure that the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), that approved and was supervising the collapsed building, and other stakeholders in mass housing development sub-sector in the FCT, to henceforth adhere strictly to all regulations on property development in the Territory.

He further stated that the FCT Administration will no longer tolerate the construction of buildings on flood plains and will take necessary measures to correct the anomalies.

While sympathising with the victims of the incident, the minister said human lives often lost in the process of building collapse could be avoided if simple urban and regional regulations were sternly followed.

He emphasised that his administration would not fold its arms and watch the wanton waste of lives, stressing that human life is sacred and must be protected.

Buhari Appeals To National Assembly To Pass Money Laundering, NDDC, FCT, Other Bills

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night appealed to the National Assembly to, as a matter of urgency, consider and pass five bills presently before it.

He made the appeal while speaking at a dinner he hosted in honour of National Assembly members at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
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He listed the bills to include the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Appropriation bill, Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) bill, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters bill, Statutory Budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) bill and a Bill for Acts for domestication of agreements for avoidance of double taxation between Nigeria and South Korea, Spain, and Sweden respectively.

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The president observed that both the FCT and the NDDC could not execute their statutory mandates unless their budgets were approved by the National Assembly.

Buhari thanked the lawmakers for their painstaking efforts that led to the passage of the 2016 Budget.

He said: “It is on record that this is one rare occasion where the Appropriation Act was assented to with the schedule i.e the details.”

The president said that the dinner was held first to mark 2016 Democracy Day and to further appreciate the National Assembly leadership, membership and management for the great work they had done.

He restated the commitment of his administration to observing the principles of separation of powers.

Credit: Thisday

FCT Police Rescue Kidnapped Boy, Arrest Suspects

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The FCT Police Command said it had rescued an eight-year-old boy, Prosper Arinze, who was kidnapped recently.

This is contained in statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, in Abuja on Tuesday.

It said the suspected kidnappers of the boy had also been arrested.

Arinze, a primary two pupil of China Assisted School, Nyanya, FCT, was kidnapped on March 11 after closing at school by two suspects aged 24 and 23.

The statement said the kidnappers had contacted the father and demanded for a ransom of about N1 million before the victim would be released.

It said on receipt of the complaint, the FCT Commissioner of Police set up a Joint Rescue and Investigation Team headed by the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID).

It said for the safety of the victim, the police couldn’t arrest the suspects until the victim was released.

“Working on clues and other intelligent leads gathered during the cause of investigation into the matter, the two suspects mentioned above were trailed and arrested in Masaka and Auta Balefi in Nasarawa State,” it said.

The statement further said that during interrogation, both suspects confessed to the offence.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Budget Defence: House Decries Uncompleted Projects In FCT

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The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has decried the high number of uncompleted projects in the territory in spite of huge allocations for the projects.

 

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Herman Hembe (APC -Benue) expressed his displeasure on Thursday in Abuja at the 2016 Priority Budget Defence of the FCT.

 

He listed the projects visited by the committee on oversight as: Gurara Falls Road, Lower Usman Dam, Vice President’s residence among others.
Hembe expressed dissatisfaction at the level of completions of the projects.

 

The chairman said it was outrageous that at the Vice President’s residence, a mosque that will house 12 people was put at N96 million, the chapel that will house 20 people will go for N86 million.

He added that the gate house cost N55 million and the ADCs residence will cost N288 million.

 

The chairman also queried why N2 billion would be used to erect structures for the Principal Officers of the National Assembly.

 

“The Vice President’s residence has been paid for 88 per cent; we are not comfortable with the projects. How can you spend N96 million on a mosque that takes 12 people and you are defending it.

“Why do you keep patronising people like Julius Berger who keep embarrassing us? “Hembe said.

 

Hembe said that priority should be given to the Abuja Rail Project due to the collapse of roads by the use of heavy duty trucks.

 

The committee said that N4 billion allocated in the 2016 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari as counterpart funding for the FCT Rail Project was too small.

 

The committee added that the money should be reviewed upwards to N24 billion to enable completion by December, 2016.

 

Members of the committee also queried why the FCT should have a debt profile of N100billion.

 

FCT Minister Mohammad Bello who spoke, said the territory needed the guidance of the committee on appropriate steps to take on the projects.

 
“Should they (the projects) continue as they are or should there be a review?

 

“We will leave it to the committee’s wisdom to guide the FCT and we will be guided by what you decide,’’ Bello added.

 

(NAN)

Abuja Rail To Commence Operation December 2017 – FCT Minister

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The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has said that the Abuja rail would begin operation in Dec. 2017.

 

Bello stated this while receiving the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachichwu, who paid him a working visit on Monday in Abuja.

 

He said the commencement of the rail operation would complement the present mode of public transportation and reduce traffic gridlock often experienced at peak periods in the Federal Capital Territory.

 

“The FCT Administration is assiduously working to make the Abuja rail system operational in the last quarter of 2017. When the Abuja rail comes on stream, it will revolutionise the transportation system, as the use of personal vehicles would become unattractive,’’ he said.

 

The minister said that the rail transportation would also go a long way to create employment for some residents of the FCT.

 

He, however, called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to build Mega Filling Stations in the six area councils of the FCT.

“Instead of only one earmarked for each senatorial district in the 36 states of the federation, a large population of the territory resides in the area councils and satellite towns. Citing mega filling stations in the area councils will definitely reduce pressure on the stations in the Federal Capital City,” he said.

 

Bello promised that he would provide good locations in the headquarters of the six area councils for the mega filling stations.

 

According to him, the FCT administration is prepared to go into partnership with the NNPC by giving it befitting and strategic plots of land for the stations, in exchange for equity share in the business.

 

Earlier, Kachichwu said the NNPC was planning to construct additional mega filling stations in all the senatorial districts of the country, in partnership with the states.

 

He said that 15 state governors had already indicated interest by providing plots of land for the project.

 

He called on the FCT Minister to key into the scheme by making available plots of land for the purpose.

 

 

(NAN)

FCT To Sanction Owners Of Abandoned Structures

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The Department of Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has indicated plans to sanction developers of abandoned structures in the territory.

 

Mr Hamza Madaki, the Acting Director of the department, gave this indication at an interactive session with FCT indigenes and the media on Thursday in Abuja.

 

Madaki said that owners of such structures would soon be summoned and given a deadline within which to put their structures to use.

 

He said that the idea of abandoning structures was worrisome, considering the current challenges in the country.

 

“These abandoned structures are in two categories; those under construction and those already completed but not occupied for a long period of time.

 

“The first category has about 405 structures scattered across the territory, of which about 100 developers have already responded to our summons.

 

“For those that have been completed, we intend to summon their owners and give them a deadline to get them occupied.

 

“If they fail to comply, they will face appropriate sanction.’’

 

The director said that the reason for meeting with the traditional rulers was to ensure synergy, so that the spate of demolition of structures would be reduced.

 

“Our ultimate target is to reduce the spate of demolition of illegal structures in the FCT by frequently dialoguing with the grassroots and sensitising their leaders on the right steps to take.

 

“Though indigenes’ houses are usually excluded from demolition until they are properly resettled, they are not allowed to build houses and rent them out to tenants.’’

 

He said that the department would regularly engage the indigenous leaders of Abuja so as to minimise conflict and create harmony.

 

Responding on behalf of the traditional rulers, Mr Jacob Garki, the District Head of Garki, commended the director for convening the meeting.

 

He said that the traditional rulers should serve as a link between government and the people and gave an assurance that they would always cooperate with government.

 

“If there is a gap, peace might not be guaranteed.

 

“We, traditional rulers, are like messengers who represent both the government and the indigenes and we will continue to represent all interests.’’

 

He advised the department to always liaise with them before carrying out demolition, so as not to wrongfully demolish indigenous structures.

 

 

(NAN)

Kubwa Residents Urged To Store Water Ahead Of Impending 4 Days Water Scarcity

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The FCT Administration has called on residents of Kubwa to store water to avoid hardship as the Water Board is set to repair its faulty facility.

This is contained in a statement signed by Muhammad Sule, Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary to the FCT, made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

The statement said there was a major pipe burst at Railway Terminal, KM 19 by Dantata Estate Town Developers, Kubwa.

The statement further said the Permanent Secretary of FCT, Mr John Chukwu, has directed its immediate repairs to ensure the continuous supply of clean portable water to all the residents of the territory.

“As a result of this unfortunate development, the residents of Kubwa Satellite Town will experience disruption of water supply from Thursday, Nov. 5, to Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015’’, the statement said.

It said Chukwu advised the residents living in Kubwa area to store water to avoid any hardship, as the authorities would work assiduously to restore normal water supply on or before Sunday, Nov. 8.

“The FCT Administration regrets the inconveniences this disruption may cause the residents of the affected area’’, the statement said.

 

(NAN)

Resident Doctors Threaten Strike In FCT

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Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, yesterday accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, of taking action capable of provoking doctors to resume their suspended strike by ignoring their demands.

In a press statement issued by president of the association, Dr. Isaac Akerele, the doctors said that they had “been doing everything possible to avert industrial action but the attitude of the government is disheartening to the association.”

Akerele described the actions and inactions of the FCTA as ‘‘deliberate to cause tension in the health sector.”

Read More: nationalmirroronline

Buhari Sacks Chairmen Of 3 Federal Capital Territory Administration Boards

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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate sacking of Mr. Ari Isa Mohammed, Dr. Moroof Akinwande and Alhaji Usman Ningi, Chairmen of the FCT Internal Revenue Service, Secondary Education and Universal Basic Education (UBE) Boards.

Notice of the sack of the three board chairmen was contained in a letter with reference (NO. SGF.19/S.81/T1/97) sent to the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu, on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 by the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF).

This follows the refusal of the affected board Chairmen to vacate office even after a presidential directive on the dissolution of the governing boards of all federal government-owned companies,
institutions, parastatals and agencies.

Part of the letter read, “that the Federal Government’s directive as contained in Circular Ref. No. SGF.19/S.81/XIX/964 on the dissolution of the Governing Boards of the Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government Owned Companies remains extant.

“That the directive applies to all the Boards of the Federal Capital Territory Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government Owned Companies”.

According to a statement by the deputy director of press in FCTA, Muhammad Sule, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu has following the directive, directed the former chairman of the of the FCT Internal Revenue Service to hand over all duties and responsibilities of his office as well as government belongings in his possession to the Director of Treasury, FCT and the chairmen of the Secondary Education Board and Universal Basic Education Board to hand over all duties and responsibilities of their offices as well as government belongings in their possession to the directors/secretaries of SEB and UBEB respectively.

The statement also conveyed tge apreciation of the FCT Administration to the sacked board chairmen for their contributions to the development of the territory and wished them success in their future endevours.

FCT Minister’s Survival Strategy Will Not Work – Tukur Mamu

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The publisher of DESERT HERALD newspaper, Mallam Tukur Mamu, has reacted to the press release issued by the embattled FCT minister, Sen. Bala Muhammad, from his base in Dubai where he went on self exile due to desperate plots by the FCT minister, the FCTA director of treasury, Ibrahim Bomoi and their accomplices in the police to eliminate, implicate or arrest him.

Mamu noted that the present corrupt FCTA administration finally decided to respond to him with such glaring frustration because they painfully realised but very late that they cannot manipulate and deceive the system and tax payers forever.

He said he was not surprised that they deliberately avoided serious issues of public interest that indicted their conduct and put to serious question their corrupt stewardship at the FCTA in their press release, and instead, and as usual, concentrated on insulting his person and making claims they woefully failed to prove against him in a court of law.

He said since they decided to talk, the public expected nothing from the minister and his corrupt officials than to dispute his claims and tell Nigerians why the nation’s federal capital remains even more dilapidated with virtually all the structures they met decaying six years after Bala took over the helms of its leadership and at a time the FCTA received from the federation account the highest allocation ever in its history.

He added that as soon as the new government comes on board and beyond what Sen. Bala Muhammad wants Nigerians to believe, the public should know what was actually generated internally by the FCTA in terms of revenue in his six years misrule of the territory. He said the public must also know the exact amount Bala collected from the federation account during the period and compare it with the structures provided by the FCT administration under him to see if they are commensurate with the billions he collected.

Mamu said current attempts by the likes of the criminally-minded Ibrahim Bomoi to falsify and distort the actual financial records of the FCTA under Bala will never work, as there are patriotic staff among them that are very willing to give Nigerians proper account of all that Bala Muhammad and his cohorts are busy distorting and falsifying to confuse, mislead and technically force the new government to accept their bogus claims of highly inflated expenditure.

Mamu revealed that the Freedom of Information Act will be fully exploited when the new government takes over to scrutinise and study all their handing over submissions/claims as well as request relevant books in the office of the FCTA Director of Treasury to be able to unravel all the criminal technicalities the auditors hitherto ignored.

He said patriotic insiders are also very willing and ready to assist the new government in that regard.

Tukur Mamu described the content of the FCTA press release as childish, hugely unprofessional and a deliberate departure from the real issues on ground. He said a competent spokesman should always concentrate on addressing issues and bringing facts on or against claims instead of wasting public resources abusing with frustration their perceived enemies.

He listed some of the posers the FCTA administration under Bala Muhammad must provide answers to before he comes with his facts after May 29. The posers, according to Mamu, include corrupt enrichment and corrupt ownership of choice housing estates in Abuja by the FCTA minister and the de facto supervising officer of the ministry, Dame Patience Jonathan; properties acquired by Ibrahim Bomoi and the two billionaire sons of the FCT minister also in choice locations of the FCT; why Abuja and most of its environs largely depend on boreholes and water vendors despite the billions injected by Goodluck Jonathan’s federal government in the water sector of the FCT; the person/persons that benefitted from the controversial Abuja streetlights multibillion naira contracts over the last six years and why the nation’s capital remains in the dark despite the billions.

“We will also like to know why they only chose to rush substandard streetlights installation now and after losing election to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; which ministry actually mobilised N500million and bribed election officials to ensure by all means that President Jonathan is not defeated during the presidential polls at the FCT? Is there actually a rush and fraudulent recruitment exercise by Bala Muhammad to cover his excess loot ahead of his inevitable exit as exclusively reported by DH SMS Alert? Did our report finally save the FCTA resources or not? Maybe they still don’t know who Alhaji Lai Mohammed is. He cannot comment on DESERT HERALD report, and he even emphasised it, without verifying his facts,” Mamu said.

Continuing, Mamu said among other posers Bala and his men should have answered him is what is the condition of government-owned public schools under the FCT during Bala’s uneventful tenure as super minister? Are there massive scandals at AGIS under him and what are they busy secretly doing now at AGIS to correct the criminality and corruption? Which ministry and under which minister was the infamous Buhari certificate forgery fabrication plotted and financed through the media as was done in my case? The same people that are calling me all sorts of names, saying that I am a blackmailer, didn’t they accuse and say worse things about Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Lai Mohammed and many other prominent Nigerians with impeccable integrity?”

“These are just few of the posers and real issues (not abuses) Mamu told this reporter they must be busy replying him on. He said any so-called journalist that believes the compromised leadership of the NUJ under Garba Mohammed by its constitution has the powers to blacklist any duly registered paper or its publisher or to stop such a paper from production is the one that is actually junk and lacking in knowledge.

Mamu wondered why almost two years after the sponsored campaign against DESERT HERALD, the NUJ and their paymasters in the FCTA could not impose the so-called blacklisting of the paper and its publisher, adding that instead, the paper’s readership and circulation base increased.

He said beyond what Ibrahim Bomoi’s ‘friends’ in the APC deceive and misled him for, the APC leadership is not stupid and is privy and very much appreciate what he and other Nigerians dedicated their lives for and assured Nigerians that the APC as a party that campaigned for change will certainly work with him and other concerned Nigerians to correct the massive ills Bomoi and others like him inflicted on the nation.

Mamu revealed that if evidences of corruption and corrupt enrichment against the FCTA officials at the disposal of his paper are anything to go by, current efforts by particularly Ibrahim Bomoi through massive bribery of some APC stalwarts to be appointed the next Accountant General of the Federation, AGoF, by the new government no matter his deceptive CV will never work because according to him they will resist it with verifiable justification and not through noise or abuses reminiscent of the FCTA under Bala. He said instead of bribing his way to be appointed the AGoF, Bomoi should be more concerned with how he will successfully proceed on his pre – retirement terminal leave which will be due in September according to records at our disposal.

Source – Leadership newspaper

Igbos Request For FCT Ministerial Slot

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Igbo businessmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to consider the ethnic group for the post of FCT Minister.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of Zaudan Pazeri Property Owners Association, Elder Friday Ugoala, said Igbos have massive investments, a factor Buhari should consider. He recommended that an Igbo man should either be made a minister with an indigene as the minister of state or vice versa.

Read More: dailypost

Buhari Fails to Submit Academic Qualifications to INEC

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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, did not present his academic qualifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, even as he prepares for the 2015 presidential contest.

Unlike his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, counterpart, President Goodluck Jonathan, whose academic certificates were conspicuously displayed by the commission upon presentation, Buhari’s credentials were visibly without trace at the commission’s office at Area 10, Abuja.

The former Head of State, explained in an affidavit he deposed, which he submitted to the commission that all his academic credentials were with the Secretary, Military Board.

The affidavit deposed at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja and dated November 24,2014, was stamped and received at INEC headquarters on December 18, 2014.

In the affidavit, Buhari said: “All my academic qualifications (documents) as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary Military Boards as at the time of this affidavit.” He added: “The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purpose.”

Credit: www.vanguardngr.com