FCTA worried about area council projects’ neglect

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has expressed concern over the total neglect of projects in the six area councils.

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, who made this known while on tour of facilities of Kuje Area Council in Abuja, expressed worry over the dilapidating state of Kuje mini stadium, describing it as one of the ‘non-existence projects’ in the council.

She, however, reiterated the commitment of present administration towards completion of all abandoned projects, stressed that the FCTA may consider the option of Public, Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to complete some of the identified projects.

The minister also used the occasion to advocate for adequate funding of the councils aimed at decongesting the city centre, noted that the tour of facilities was to identify areas of urgent needs.

According to her, “the Kuje stadium is non-existence because it has not been put to effective use in the past five years. The entrance has been overtaken by refuse dump and no sporting activities are taking place in the main stadium.

“We are going to built shops at the entrance of the stadium, and that will discourage people from dumping their waste right by the side of the stadium. We are even considering the option of PPP arrangement to achieve this. If the stadium is put to effective use, some of our youths will be meaningfully engaged.

“Basically, we are focusing on completion of abandoned projects in the councils and that is the essence of the tour. President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate is to complete all abandoned projects”.

She, enjoined residents of the council to imbibe the culture of sanitation and to be security conscious within their domains, stressing that security is a collective responsibility.

While in Kuje Women Development Center, the minister ordered for immediate use of the centre by the Social Development Secretariat, noting that some of the equipment has not been put to use.

Earlier, the Chairman of the council, Suleiman Sabo, said despite the paucity of funds, the council has in the past six months been able to empower the youths of the area through provision of entrepreneurial tools, provision of functional and effective free healthcare delivery system, among others.

The chairman is however seeking stronger collaboration with the FCT Administration to boost its revenue drive in order to augment the federal allocation.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State has vowed to complete the over N2 billion Mpape—-Shere  road .
The project was awarded to an indigenous company, CC Nigeria Ltd in 2006 and expected to have been completed within three years. But was been abandoned for lack of funds.

Dr. Aliyu  made the pledge weekend during a tour of facilities in Shere community in Bwari area Council of the FCT. She said, the ministry is very now determined to complete all abandoned project.

She however, warned all organizations, individuals and agencies who have been allocated land in the area to begin immediate development or have their plots revoked.

‘’We are using this opportunity to call on all those who have been privilege to get land allocations here to come forward and begin immediate development or have their allocations revoked, what many of them don’t know is that Abuja is now a city of attraction for businesses, many local and international bodies, individuals are coming to ask for lands in FCT.

“We’re not begging anyone to develop any plots but if you have been allocated one and fails to do the needful, we will revoke it and reallocate to those who are prepared to make development immediately, and when these lands are fully developed in Shere-galuyi, there will be rapid social economic development across board here.

“FCT cannot afford  to waste land , lots of visitors are coming into the city everyday to ask for land  for development and those who got land and fail to develop cannot continue to grad us back,” the minister added.