The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammed
Bello, said on Saturday that the Federal Government has approved 470 million
dollars for the execution of the Greater Abuja Water project in Abuja.
Bello made this known during a media briefing organised as
part of events to commemorate two years in office of the Federal Government
under President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja.
Bello said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has
approved 470 million dollars for the execution of the Greater Abuja Water
project.
The minister explained that the Karshi water works would
soon start to boost water supply in the FCT.
He said that his administration had trained over 12,000
staff in an ongoing training exercise that was expected to focus on three areas
including effective service delivery, discipline and prudent resource
management.
Bello said that his administration had ensured that senior
staff that has remained on same job for many years were given the opportunity
to experience other areas of the government.
He added that they would one day be head of a department and
require such experiences to deliver effectively.
He explained why his administration had not made land
allocations since inception, saying “barely two years I have resolved about 500
pending land issues.
“In the past, you saw up to four or five people contesting
for one piece of land.
“Past FCT Administrations fell under intense pressure, which
I am also facing, in order to allocate land, making them fall into the trap of
multiple allocations, and even some without layouts.
“I have been under tremendous pressure to allocate land but
because of the mistakes of the past, whereby land allocated to A was also
allocated to B and so on.
“I have withstood huge pressure in similar direction, but
was, however, considering land allocation where there were layouts,’’ Bello
said.
Bello said that Federal Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA) had been able to dislodge a land racketeering group that used to operate
in Area 11, near the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) head office.
On Abuja light rail at 93 per cent completion, Bello said
that the process for the procurement of coaches for the rail was fast going,
adding that installation of signaling equipment were almost completed.
He said that test-running of the rail was expected to end
this year, adding that rail transportation would commence in the FCT early
2018.
The minister added the approval for the extension of the
rail line to Kubwa and Wuse has been given.
According to him, institutional framework for the FCTA had
been strengthened, adding that not only to ensure effective service delivery,
but to also maintain institutional memory.
Bello said that he deliberately allowed the bureaucracy to
work so that the management staff will no more rely on the mentality of having
to wait for directives on everything from a minister.
“We decided to strengthen the bureaucracy by allowing the
civil servants to work.
“When ministers come with their political appointees and are
gone, there is no institutional memory that is why we spent a lot of resources
on training staff,’’ he added.
On traffic light and facility maintenance within the city,
Bello appealed to the residents to stop cannibalization.
He said that it was a major hindrance to ensure bright city
at nights as well as 24-hour functional traffic lights across the city.
The minister, therefore, tasked the media to help in
sensitising the public, adding that government alone could not do everything.
While appealing for patience and cooperation of the people,
Bello stressed the need to make Abuja bright at night, not just for aesthetics
also for security purposes.
On Apo-Karshi road, “I personally thought that by now, this
road would have been completed but we are working on it seriously and by the
grace of God, it will be done’’.
Bello added that the road was meant to terminate in the bush
has been extended to terminate at Wasa.
Bello assured the residents that his administration will not
demolish anyhow, adding that he would rather prefer the global best practice of
upgrading and integration where infrastructure would be put in place for the
people. (NAN)
