The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has hinted that over Five (5) million passengers were processed through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja in 2021.
The Managing Director, FAAN, Captain Hamisu Yadudu disclosed this in Abuja at the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Airport. He said there have been remarkable development compared to when it was established 40 years ago. He said that “just like the stages in the product life cycle, a concept in marketing; which are introduction, Growth, Maturity and Decline, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja came into being 40 years ago”.
“I am glad that the airport has continued to grow in leaps and bounds since then. In the year 2021 for example, a total of 5,323,905 passengers were processed through the airport, which was a whopping 37.23% increase on the year 2020 figures. In terms of facility upgrade, the airport also has been quite progressive”.
The MD who was represented by the Director Operations, Capt. Muktar Yusuf Muye, said “the trajectory of progress has been upward ever since, as passengers and stakeholders have commended the level of facilities and service delivery at the airport.
“As a testament to this, the airport was adjudged the Best Airport in Safety for the year 2018 by Airport Council International, Africa Region. The airport also received ACI’s Airport Service Quality Award in the year 2020, amongst several others.
“Therefore, I am particularly elated that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja is not only celebrating its 40th anniversary, but has continued to wax stronger and stronger”.
Yadudu commended the contributions of all staff, both past and present, as well as partners and stakeholders for the last 40 years. “The milestone being celebrated today could not have been achievable without your hard work and cooperation.
“So, as we continue to celebrate this notable feat, I want to charge you all to continue to strive harder to deliver the best possible service to our highly esteemed passengers at this airport. I urge you all to progressively consolidate on the labour of our heroes past in this airport.
“We must continue to improve on our service delivery. I am confident that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and other airports in Nigeria will be ranking amongst the best of airports in the world, in no distant time” he said.
In his speech, the Regional General Manager/ Airport Manager of NAIA, Abuja, Kabir Mohammed revealed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of a new runway at Abuja airport.
“The new runway will come with a new terminal and a new fire station” stating that “i don’t know how long the construction will take but once that is achieved, it will improve on passengers’ output as well as businesses at the airport”.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) was established on the 29th of September, 1982.
***At least 60 per cent of commitments will directly support UNICEF’s work in 15 countries hardest hit by the food and nutrition crisis
The governments of Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the Eleanor Crook Foundation, the Greta Thunberg Foundation, and Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and King Philanthropies came together at the high-level event during the 77th annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to address the growing food crisis.
The commitments were made as climate-driven drought, conflict, and rising food prices continue to drive up emergency levels of severe wasting in young children worldwide. In 15 countries hardest hit, including in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, a child is being pushed into severe malnutrition every minute, according to a recent analysis by UNICEF.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said : “An escalating malnutrition crisis is pushing millions of children to the brink of starvation – and unless we do more, that crisis will become a catastrophe.”
“UNICEF is immensely grateful for the pledges we have received, but we need further unrestricted funding to reach children before it is too late. We cannot stand by and let children die not when we know how to prevent, detect, and treat severe wasting.”
Today’s commitments build upon pledges made in July, when USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced an unprecedented contribution of US$200 million to UNICEF to detect and treat severe child wasting, out of which US$22 million was allocated to UNICEF Nigeria to accelerate and expand the coverage of services for early detection and treatment of severe forms of child wasting in fragile contexts in the conflict-affected local government areas of Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina States in North-West Nigeria.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power said, “The truth is that the majority of children facing severe malnutrition, nearly two-thirds of children, live in places that don’t normally receive humanitarian aid.”
“We are working to change that, to recognize that treatment for severe malnutrition should be accessible not just in humanitarian settings, but in non-crisis settings as well.”
Severe wasting which makes children dangerously thin – is the most visible and lethal form of undernutrition. Weakened immune systems increase the risk of death among children under 5 by up to 11 times compared to well-nourished children.
In response, UNICEF has scaled up its efforts in 15 countries most affected by the malnutrition crisis. Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen are included in an Acceleration Plan calling for US$1.2 billion to help avert a rise in child deaths and mitigate the long-term damage of severe wasting.
In Nigeria, UNICEF is meeting the increased demand for nutrition services, treating severe acute malnutrition in children living in fragile conditions, providing core preventive nutrition services across the first 1000 days, from pregnancy through 24 months and building the resilience of the mother-child dyad across all accessible LGAs in Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States.
“The treatment of child malnutrition cannot stop at only providing nutrition services,” said Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Nigeria Representative. “With this fund, we are not only reaching approximately 200,000 children with treatment for severe acute malnutrition, but also strengthening the availability of nutrition data for decision makers, strengthening programmes in health facilities and integrating WASH interventions.
The pledges to UNICEF will help provide services for the early prevention, detection and treatment of child wasting, and expand access to life-saving ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and other essential nutritious commodities needed during crises.
During today’s event, UNICEF and partners also launched an expansion of the Child Nutrition Fund, a long-term multi-partner financing mechanism to support the early prevention, detection and treatment of child wasting. By working with governments to consolidate and strategically allocate financial resources, the Child Nutrition Fund aims to accelerate global progress and end the cycle of severe child wasting.
“We are witnessing an unprecedented child malnutrition crisis. The fact that many millions of children have to experience severe malnutrition in their first few years of life is unacceptable,” said Co-founder and Chair of CIFF Chris Hohn. “We already know many of the solutions for prevention, early detection and treatment of child wasting but we need to do more to ensure these solutions are scaled. This requires sustainable long-term and coordinated funding. The early success of the Child Nutrition Fund is incredibly encouraging and its expansion into becoming the largest centralised response to combat child wasting at scale is exactly what’s needed. I am pleased to announce the CIFF intends to allocate an additional $40 million for addressing child wasting.”
“As we face global challenges, including the ripple effects of COVID-19, we should always keep acute malnutrition and stunting as priorities on the multilateral agenda,” said Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations Diamane Diome. “Working with national and international stakeholders, such as USAID, UNICEF, the World Food Programme and other multilateral and bilateral partners, Senegal has made great progress in this regard. This shows that we can overcome the challenge of child acute malnutrition and stunting, if we work collaboratively and with a sense of urgency, on the basis of our shared values. Senegal is committed to sharing the experience and lessons it has learned in the process. That is why I am happy to take part in this timely meeting alongside USAID and UNICEF.”
Thousands of prominent Nigerians including Islamic scholars, gathered at the Ansar-Ud-Deen central Mosque for the 3rd Day (Fidau) prayers for late Zainab Sidi Ali, mother of the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu.
An expert has warned that “interlopers” with false identities will destroy the media industry through fake news and serial manipulation unless immediate action is taken.
The managing director of Abuja Broadcasting Corporation, Malam Ibrahim Damisa, bemoaned over the weekend how Nigeria’s media sector was bleeding heavily as a result of a flood of uneducated people using the Internet platform.
In his office in Abuja, Damisa hosted a small group of media professionals from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister’s Press Corps. He expressed regret over the irreparable harm that “interlopers” working as citizen journalists had done to the media sector.
He said that in order to reverse the current downward trend in journalism, trained professionals must step up.
He also urged all stakeholders to participate. He also called on all stakeholders in the industry to give adequate attention to in-the-job training, as a measure to keep professionals abreast with global trends, as well as put them in position where they can easily dictate and avoid fake news.
According to him, fake news being traded arbitrarily by the ” interlopers ” with the help of social media need to be addressed, because it is capable of destroying not just the media industry, but the society.
” The Internet has provided the convergence between the traditional and the new media. Citizens journalism is in place, and some people will just use their phones, without the sensibility of knowing if what they are dishing out to the public is right or wrong.
” Some of the things they dish out are fake, because in most cases, they do not verify, and verification is an important thing in journalism.
” Journalism is at crossroads because of the Citizens journalism that has come on stream, where people who are interlopers and not trained in the profession encroach our territory and cause havoc.
” There is nothing as good as on the job training for practitioners”.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the FCT Press Corps, Malam Hudu Yakubu commended the mentorship which the Managing Director has over the years provided to the young journalists.
Yakubu also noted that Aso Radio and Television have experienced tremendous transformation, following the unparalleled commitment which the management team of the corporation have shown.
Dumebi Kachikwu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has urged Nigerians not to support the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the general elections of 2023.
According to a statement from Kachikwu’s campaign office that was made available to newsmen in Abuja, the two parties have seriously impoverished Nigerians over the past two decades under their leadership and have earned the title of “Poverty Capital of the World.”
He said that the two parties are synonymous with greed, avarice, corruption and cluelessness and therefore should no longer be entrusted with the task of managing the rich human and material resources of a potentially great country like Nigeria.
He, however , lamented that the country has continued to lag behind in all indices of development since 1999 when PDP assumed power which it handed over to APC in 2015.
He accused both parties of ruining the economy and impoverishing Nigerians with living conditions becoming unbearable and nosediving negatively on a daily basis.
He insisted that it is shameful, inhuman, ungodly, wicked and anti-people for both PDP and APC to be jostling to renew their hold on power during the 2023 general elections in spite of the fact that all indices of good governance anchored on the rule of law have remained negative since 1999 till date.
The statement reads: “Today, inflation rate has rallied to a 17-year high of 20.5 per cent up from 8.06 per cent in 2014 before the APC took over the reins of power at the centre in 2015, notwithstanding the humongous debt the party has amassed for the country through reckless borrowing.
“This rate of inflation simply means that the average Nigerian cannot afford their basic daily necessities like three square meals due to skyrocketing food prices and other essential services like healthcare and education for their children.
“While the cost of diesel and petrol are at all time high, thus leading to phenomenal increases in transportation cost with its concomitant negative effect on rising prices of goods and services, yet the minimum wage remains a paltry N30,000 per month, a far cry when compared with the jumbo pay of present political office holders.
“The APC administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari like its predecessor, has shown great incompetence and cluelessness in prosecuting its three-pronged agenda, namely: Security, Economy, Anti-Corruption.
“On the economic front, Nigerians have never had it this bad. Life has become a nightmare despite unprecedented budgetary allocations to defence and security agencies by the administration in the last seven years.
“Corruption has continued to grow and fester rather than abate, despite Buhari being awarded a medal as Africa’s anti corruption champion by the African Union (AU).
“On the other hand, the anti-corruption war is being waged hypocritically as recently alluded to by the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, in his speech during a workshop organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-corruption, with the theme; ‘Corruption As Threat Security In Nigeria.’
“The recent revelation by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s claim of that Nigerians consume 60million litres of petrol daily with over N6trillion in subsidy payments was a ruse shows that corruption yet dwells in a ministry where Buhari is minister.
“It is heartrending to note that between 2010 and 2023, the national grid collapsed 216 times, 94 of which occurred in the last seven years under Buhari.
“This unacceptable situation has not only killed once thriving small scale businesses in the country but has regrettably led to major industries relocating to neigbouring countries that has created a growing army of unemployed Nigerians.
“Notwithstanding the APC administration’s avowed target to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, the reverse has been the case as no fewer than 95.1 million persons in the country would slide into extreme poverty at the end of 2022, according to the World Bank in its recent report titled: ‘A Better Future for All Nigerians: 2022 Nigeria Poverty Assessment.”
He urged Nigerians to reinvent the progress of the country by voting in competent parties like the ADC that has the vision and candidates with the know-how to turn the fortunes of the country around for the better.
He said a situation where Nigerians are daily confronted with unmitigated hunger, poverty, poor access to healthcare and education due to the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities are all symptomatic of an uncaring and failed governance being foisted on the nation by APC and PDP.
He, therefore , called on Nigerians to reverse the trend in 2023 by voting to terminate the strangle hold on the destiny of Nigeria and Nigerians by the APC and PDP.
Residents of Abuja have been cautioned by the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) not to disregard early flood warnings from weather forecasting organizations.
At the 2022 FEMA Annual Review and Preparedness Meeting, which was attended by over 250 local divers, community vanguards, flood rescue teams, and 50 town criers, FEMA Director-General Alhaji Abba Idriss issued the warning.
He noted that the meeting was taking place at a time when serious flood warnings were being issued almost daily by weather forecasting organizations, particularly the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
Idriss cited escalating threats as well as rising water levels in the nation’s major rivers, particularly the Niger and Benue couple with the threats coming from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon are issues of great concern.
Idriss emphasised the need for residents to abide and obey the early warning and would be issued out to them from time to time through the conventional and social media.
According to him, as soon as the agency get flood early warning it will disseminate the information so that people will take advantage of that.
He, therefore, urged residents to ensure that they get information about the way they will pass through before leaving their homes, offices and markets.
“The reason why we call for this meeting is first to alert our local divers, volunteers, vanguards and town criers on the likelihood of flooding.
“Secondly, is to call on the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to be on their alert as well that all is not well yet. We have to be watchful, we have to keep observing those environmental laws and we also have to abide by the building code.
“FCT residents must also ensure that they don’t block drainages, avoid building on the waterways and also avoid driving on a running water. People shouldn’t undermine water they see on the road to think that they have high capacity vehicle that move on running water.”
Earlier, Mrs Florence Wenegieme, the Director, Forecasting Response Mitigation of FEMA, hinted that the event was organised to review with stakeholders especially the local divers, volunteers, vanguards, local emergency committee and town criers.
Wenegieme expressed optimism that the meeting would help the agency to save lives and properties in the nation’s capital.
“We call them three or four times annually to review all the activities; to reactivate them, to know that they should always be on standby because we want all hands to be on deck to mitigate flood and other disasters in the territory.
“We have almost 600 volunteers, local divers, town criers. We are doing the meeting by representation, we call over 200 today and next meeting we will call another set of 200 persons again to make sure that we create the needed awareness in them.
“We are training them on how to use use modern rescue equipment when somebody get drown in the river or in the wall,” she said.
Also, the Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr Clement Nze, reiterated the resolve of the agency to deepen partnership with FEMA in coordinating issues around water and flooding.
“I will say that we are aware of most of the activities of State Emergency Management Agency and out of all of them FEMA is on top in terms of being relevant on community development
“We are delighted to associate ourselves with FEMA based on what we see on ground being done by the DG.
“I want to urge the divers and vanguards, local emergency committee, town criers and flood rescue team to see their role as very important in tackling flood in FCT.”
Similarly, the Director-General, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, also expressed willingness of the agency to deepen partnership with FEMA, adding that the agency has been very cooperative in emergency management.
Represented by Mr Kamorudeen Alao, the Assistant General Manager, Hydro, Matazu said the partnership which was beyond the issue of downscaling would continue to grow stronger.
Meanwhile, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said the meeting was very critical to mitigating flood and other disasters in the FCT.
Represented by Mr Agbor Etim, NEMA’s Principal Search and Rescue Officer, Ahmed said disaster management was all encompassing, adding that everybody need to be on board to help ensure effective disaster management.
***Says Defiant Users Risk Skin Cancer, Damaged Internal Organs, Even Death
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a warning to Nigerians to stop using illegal cosmetics and dangerous chemicals for skin bleaching.The Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, issued the warning over the weekend during a brainstorming session of the Agency’s Top Management Committee’s (TMC) two-day retreat in Lagos.Prof. Adeyeye expressed shock at the rising number of beauticians producing illegal chemicals with the intention of using them on their unaware clients in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos and signed by Sayo Akintola, the local media consultant for NAFDAC.The vast majority of spas in the wealthy cities of the country are to blame for this dangerous practice of mixing chemicals with organic materials like pawpaw, carrot, etc to make creams, for the clients use. She added that these are thereafter packaged, labeled, and sold online to clients. other substances, claims the NAFDAC boss.She lamented that the Spa owners have gone further to influence some clinics with medical doctors joining to carry out these nefarious activities which have advanced to include injected substances vitamin C infusion and glutathione on clients.Explaining further, she stated that the challenge in the enforcement of the Agency’s safety regulations on bleaching agents at spas and other beauty parlors is that the products are prepared extemporaneously and covertly for individual clients and therefore, rarely can you see the offending products on the shelves of these facilities. Notwithstanding, she warned that this practice must stop as anyone apprehended by the Agency would be prosecuted and jailed if convicted. She disclosed that most of the products used in these mixes are smuggled into the country and are unregistered, citing formulations containing Kojic Acid, and Hydroquinone that are above their permissible limits in the formulations and therefore at risk of causing harm. She pointed out that it was for the same safety reason that the use of mercury was banned in cosmetics.Prof. Adeyeye said: “we don’t just ban products because they are bleaching agents but are prohibited because of safety issues surrounding particular ingredients in the products as they could cause skin cancer as well as damage the liver and kidney. She strongly highlighted the fact that the lightening of skin today could be cancer tomorrow. She noted that many of the importers smuggle the products into the country under the guise of Global listing to bypass NAFDAC inspection, adding that bleaching has become a pandemic amongst both women and their male counterparts.She further disclosed that the Agency is on the heels of some people who engaged in online sales of dangerous unauthorized cosmetics and other products, adding that the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC has been given the directive to apprehend merchants of these dangerous products and bring them to book. In closing, she emphasized the point that the Agency is not against the use of cosmetics insisting however, that they must be regulated and confirmed safe for human use. She highlighted that the Agency must uphold its mandate of citizens protection, by ensuring that the quality and safety of goods produced internally and imported into the country go through processes that meet global best practices.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) NO BI has taken audacious steps to recoup the enormous debt owed to it by property owners in the Federal Capital Territory by putting a caveat on the impacted properties whose cases are already in court.The restriction is to prevent such titleholders from using the property, with the goal of eventually turning it over to the government.The Administration has stated that it will continue to prosecute defaulters in court in order to obtain a court order for the forfeiture of the impacted properties.Therefore, the officially placed caveat will also prevent such properties from being altered, particularly by attempting to sell or transfer ownership, because the matter is being investigated. The implication is that a caveat when placed on any property, whether developed or undeveloped, and even, if ground rent fully cleared, a written application must be submitted, and approval obtained before it can be lifted. The FCT Administration is determined to recover all Ground Rent debts owed it by property owners in Abuja, and all necessary procedure will be followed to achieve this. Since the Administration has commenced prosecution of the defaulting titleholders inspite of several appeals from the FCT Administration, the only thing that can stop the progression of this action is for the affected property owners to clear their outstanding debts. The government is in court to seek for an order to force debtors to clear their debts or forfeit the affected property, since they are recalcitrant in paying the debt, despite several warnings. The FCT Administration has taken these steps to drive home the point that it is desirous of recovering the over N29 billion Ground Rents owed it by property owners. It would be recalled that the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade recently inaugurated a debt recovery committee with the mandate to recover the outstanding debts owed the FCT Administration with particular interest in ground rents and other sundry fees in the Land Administration as well as other Land related departments. The government last month, announced its preparedness to prosecute about 413 defaulting property owners by the end of August 2022. The government insisted that since all entreaties have failed, it has no other option than to commence the prosecution of the first batch of the defaulting property owners. The Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rent and Other Related Charges in the FCT under the Chairmanship of the FCT General Counsel/Secretary Legal Services Secretariat, Mohammed Babangida Umar, wishes to assure the public that there will be no sacred cows as the law will surely take its course, because the only language it will understand is for the debtors to clear their outstanding debt.
Following the passing of her mother, prominent national figures, including top government officials, significant political figures, traditional leaders, and business moguls, visited the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, on Thursday to express their condolences.
From Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his wife, Oludolapo Osinbajo, National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Minister for Special Duties, Sen. George Akume, Sen. Philip Aduda, Director General NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa, Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, and Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, were among dignitaries who visited the home of the Minister to commiserate with the family.
Others include wife of the APC Vice Presidential candidate, Haj. Nana Kashim Shettima, Minister of State for Niger Delta, Mrs. Sharon Oliver Ikeazor, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Maryam Yalwaji Katagum, Wife of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mrs. Olufumilayo Mustapha, among others.
In his condolence, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said the contributions of Late Hajiya Zainab Sidi Ali, in the lives of so many, especially the less privileged, will remain indelible.
His words : “We are here to commiserate with our dear sister, the Minister of State FCT, her husband and the family over the sad demise of our mother.
“Of course, when we heard, we were deeply shocked because she wasn’t particularly old, so we were shocked that she had passed on. We ought to have been here yesterday, because the minister is very dear to me and my wife, and we have a relationship over so many years.
“This loss is very personal to us as well, that is why we came to commiserate with her, the family as well as the good people of the Federal Capital Territory.
“All we can say is, it is God who gives life and He is the only one who can take life. None of us have any control over when we come or when we go. All that we are left with is the memories especially the contributions in the lives of others that the departed had made.
“We are very confident that in the case of our mother who made significant contributions in the lives of so many especially those who are less privileged, the poor and the vulnerable, will remain indelible in our minds.
“So, we just want to thank God for her life and pray for comfort for our dear sister and the rest of the family and to say a prayer that all of us will live long to mourn all of our elderly people and we ourselves will live very long”.
Earlier, the 17 graded chiefs in the FCT also paid condolences to the bereaved family.
The traditional rulers led by the chairman of traditional council of chiefs and Onah of Abaji, HRM. Dr. Adamu Baba Yunusa, prayed that may the good Lord grant late Hajiya Zainab Sidi Ali, eternal rest and make the highest paradise be her abode.
“May God grant the family, the good people of Kogi State and the good people of the Federal Capital Territory, the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss”, he added.
…Renews Enforcement Synergies With Security Agencies
The continued threat posed by commercial motorcycle riders, also known as Okada, has been attributed to the lack of strict regulations that take current events into account.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) re-established its partnership with the Police and several other security agencies at the same time as the partial ban and current route restrictions in some parts of the nation’s capital were still in place.
The leaders of the security services and paramilitary organizations gathered on Tuesday to plan a course of action, especially those in charge of the areas where Okada’s partial ban is still in force.
The Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services ( DRTS) Dr. Abdulateef Bello said while enforcement against the insecurity and recklessness of the operators of Commercial motorcyclists have remained a priority, getting a strong legislative backing has been pursued.
The Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services ( DRTS) Dr. Abdulateef Bello said while enforcement against the insecurity and recklessness of the operators of Commercial motorcyclists have remained a priority, getting a strong legislative backing was been pursued.
Bello noted that when the Abuja’s transportation masterplan was designed, Okada operation was not contemplated, and therefore has no laws, with stringent punitive measures to deter violators.
He, however ,lamented that a situation where an offending Okada operator is arrested and taken to court, but tried and fined a paltry sum of N200 or N500, was discouraging.
Also, the Director, FCTA Security Services, Adamu Gwari noted that reviewing transportation laws in Abuja has become very expedient in order to seamlessly carry out enforcement that will restore all round sanity.
Gwari who commended the efforts of all components of the task force involved in the enforcement activities in the city, also urged for more synergies.
Also Speaking, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah explained that the strategy meeting was convened to fast-track the desired results in curtailing the illegalities involving Okada operators.
Attah said that getting the Police, Road Safety Corps, the Civil Defence and others to make more commitment, was to ensure that the menace of Okada operation was better managed.
According to him, FCT Minister has instructed that the areas where route restrictions exist in the city against Okada operation, must be effectively enforced, and that no violator should be spared.
The Assistant Corps Commander in Charge of Lugbe, Ohaeri Osondu, said the excesses associated with Okada operation in Abuja, was not just a worrisome menace, but a security threat that must be tackled by all stakeholders.
Osondu noted that almost on a daily basis, reports of accidents and even deaths, involving Okada operators were being recorded.
Also, in their earlier remarks, the Divisional Police Officers in charge of Lugbe and Galadimawa Chukwudi Ugochukwu and Victor Asebiomo, respectively bemoaned the illegalities and crimes that were always linked to Okada operators.
Both of them also called on FCT Administration to hasten up all processes that would end the Okada menace and save the city of unwarranted deaths and criminalities.
Any private school that disobeyed the ongoing revalidation/registration and data collection requirements of the Department of Quality Assurance of the Education Secretariat will be closed down, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola disclosed this in a meeting on Thursday to discuss the low compliance by the private schools in the FCT.
The Permanent Secretary added that the FCT revenue drive by Departments, Boards, and Agencies will not be impacted by the slow pace of compliance of the exercise by Private Schools and that the MDA’s involved have been given a marching order to ensure due diligence in the process of their statutory duties and responsibilities.
He, however , reiterated the Administration’s resolve to enforce compliance frowning at the nonchalant attitude of defaulters while they keep enjoying the many quality services provided by the Administration in their various locations of operation in the territory.
Adesola further explained that the process of revalidation/registration and data capturing is part of the requirements for operating Schools in FCT.
He, therefore , cautioned Schools who are in the act of obstructing officials of the FCT Administration from accessing their schools for the routine inspection to desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law.
The Permanent Secretary, highlighting the various stages, procedures and approval in the process mandated that all statutory laws and regulations pertaining to management of schools in the FCT must be fully complied with.
He said the non-compliance to the guidelines and non-payment of the approved annual/accreditation charges by some private school owners could greatly impair the smooth operations of the Education Sector.
He extended the revalidation, registration and data capturing exercise to 31st of December 2022 to allow for the successful completion of the intensive process.
