The National Assembly’s upper house has expressed concern about allegations that Ministry of Health employees mishandled nearly N5.7 billion in donations from a foreign organization.
Due to unsatisfactory reports coming from the organizations under the Ministry of Health, the Senate, which first brought attention to this alleged mismanagement, said that this development led several funders to halt their support.
Senator Matthew Urhogbide, the chairman of the Senate Public Account Committee, has voiced his displeasure with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and other Ministry employees for failing to account for the fund.
Four invitations, it was discovered, have been sent to the Ministry, which were not honored.
The first letter dated February 1, in a meeting was scheduled for February 8, and another meeting was scheduled for March 16, and this months.
One of the donor agency is Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international NGO specializes in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccine for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
The revelation was sequel to the 2016 Auditor General’s Report, which is under consideration.
Reacting to the failure of the Ministry to give account of the money spent, the Chairman said that the Committee is left with no other option than to issue Warrant of Arrest on the Ministry officials to come and give explanation.
He said: “The Ministry of Health has consistently refused to come and give account before this Committee.
“We have sent invitations to them to appear with no response from the Ministry, this is very unfortunate.”
The query reads: “First in 2015, by a donor named Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international NGO specialising in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccine for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
“The NGO, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, accused NPHCDA of mis-management of funds released by the organisation and invited my Office to observe the appointment of an audit firm to carry out extended cash programme audit of GAVI funds released to NPHCDA from 2010 to 2015.
Non-adherence to laid down procedures stipulated in Public Procurement Act, 2007, in the procurement of goods, services and works valued at N4,987,958,621.00 (Four billion, nine hundred and eighty-seven million, nine hundred and fifty-eight thousands)
“Expenditures made by the NPHCDA between 1st January, 2010 and 31st March, 2015 amounted to N8,599,291,949.00 (Eight billion, five hundred and ninety-nine million, two hundred and ninety-one thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine naira), out of which N187,725,160.00 was not supported with relevant statutory and third party documents, such as payment vouchers, receipts, invoices, delivery notes, store receipt vouchers, contract completion certificates, etc.
“The sum of N18,804,865.00 was also reported to be ineligible expenditures as it comprised payments to suppliers, who did not deliver the procured goods or services as per contract.
“Inadequately supported expenditure amounted to N619,999,383.00. This was mostly attributed to photocopied documents, inconsistencies in supporting documents, lack of contracts with suppliers and lack of evidence of delivery for procured goods.”
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a close political friend of the party’s presidential candidate, Chief Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Engr Babachir David Lawan has said that whoever has the power to force Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse his choice of a Muslim Muslim ticket should do so.
Saying, the decision to have a Muslim Muslim ticket to be unwise that is capable of killing the party.
He, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use his authority as the APC leader and Commander-in-Chief to cancel Tinubu’s nomination of a vice president, saying, if the nominations are not revoked, the APC National Chairman should refuse to sign them.
has angered Engr Babachir David Lawan,
Babachir, who has publicly supported Bola in the lead-up to the party’s primaries, has criticized and labeled the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate as foolish, which is capable of killing the party.
David, a founding member of the ruling party who was the former Secretary to the government of the federation said Tinubu has been cornered by self-serving hero-worshiping, lapdogs.and this will attract the wrath of the gods
According to him: “But as a popular proverb goes: “Those whom the gods want to destroy they first make mad”. It appears that the gods want to destroy the APC and its Presidential Candidate and have chosen the instrumentality of the northern Moslem governors and their super ambitious tool and Kashim Ibrahim for this purpose. Alhaji Kashim Shetima is a Greek gift from the Northern governors to Tinubu. I advise Bola to make sure Kashima’s two hands are always in his plain sight and empty.” He said
David in a press statement issued in Yola and made available to our correspondent continue to say that
The statement read in parts: “I will love for Bola to be our next President. But I am afraid a Moslem-Moslem ticket will be “Dead on Arrival”. And the arrival date according to INEC’s election time table is 25th February, 2023. This ticket will drag down the whole APC members to the pit. We all should reject it.
“I thought I will be able to avoid commenting on the disastrous error by my very good friend, Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his choice of a running mate.
“I will be the very last person to stand in the way of my very good friend Tinubu’s path to the presidency. This is because since 2011 my consuming passion has been for him to succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria.
“It will not be true if I say that I did not see it coming. I have often read his body language, picked up snippets from several discussions with his lapdogs (some of whom, sadly are Christians but most of whom are moslems) and I have conveyed my reservations to them against the pitfalls of a moslem-moslem ticket towards which I sensed they were drifting.
“As part of my obligation to him, a close friend, I had on many occasions argued the merits and demerits of both ticket permutations to him. I have done so in both verbal and written form and I have likewise, done so with some of his close respectable associates and friends. In all instances I had left him with the sole responsibility for his final decision arguing that in the end the consequences of the outcome of any bad decision will be his to bear. There might be some collateral damages though. I have also on several occasions passed on to him counsels and messages from some well meaning Nigerians intended to alert him on the possible outcomes of the Presidential ticket permutations.
“Tinubu is a very good man. He is a great listener. He has a very humble and friendly disposition to every one. He is very generous in both cash and kind, especially where it could advance his political interests. But I have realized that it is in the nature of power that sycophants and lapdogs have the most influence on leaders with such character traits. They will lie to him, malign and disparage others and generally do any thing to curry his favor and to also put well-meaning associates in bad light. I suspect this is what has happened to my friend. He has been cornered by self-serving, hero-worshiping, lapdogs.
“It never used to be like this. While in his hay-days in Lagos, he surrounded himself with smart, street-wise guys that could tell truth to power. He had Rauph Aregbesola, Yomi Osinbajo, Babatunde Fashola, Dele Alake, Muiz Banire, etc.The Lagos days were the days of think-tanks, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, principles and ideologies. But these people have since grown-up and moved up to establish their own systems living my friend stranded. Nature they say abhors vacuum.
“Welcome the Abuja equivalent. But the Abuja equivalent are people inflicted with the modern Nigerian diseases – religious bigotry, sycophancy and morbid tribalism. They are mostly political jobbers who are most times not averse to the application of diabolical means. Gone are the days of think-tanks, and strategic planning. Gone are the days of principles and ideologies. Try and call a meeting; they will not attend. Try and make a plan; they will sabotage it. Everything is ad-hoc, everything is chaotic because they excel in such environments. The result is that they have played on his long-term ambition to be President and have built it into a sort of desperation and a crescendo that easily justifies this satanic resort to a Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is the calamity that has befallen my friend.
“And why Kashim Shetima? He is an overambitious man who has a Machiavellian bent and has lots of money with which to procure a preferred-candidate status among Tinubu’s lapdogs. And as we are beginning to see, to also procure bogus supporters especially from among the Christian community to help launder his no-so-good image.
“True, based on the advise of his new friends, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made his choice. And I am sure he thinks he is ready for the out come of that choice. He has chosen to bring religion to the front burner of Nigerian politics. And being a Muslim he has chosen to take sides with his own religion. For all he cares, Christians can go to blazes with their votes.
“But he must also be told that there will consequences for this choice. Some of them are that Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC to put the chances of his election in serious jeopardy. It will also put the election of all Christians standing for elections in Christian dominated areas in jeopardy. This could result in APC being a minority party in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.
“Now tell me which Christian will vote for APC with the following contraption: Moslem Presidential Candidate (Lagos), Moslem Vice Presidential Candidate (Borno), Moslem National Chairman (Nasarawa), Moslem Deputy National Chairman (Borno), Moslem President (Katsina); Moslem Senate President (Yobe); Moslem Speaker (Lagos); Moslem Deputy Speaker (Plateau) e.t.c. APC the great! Wu na de try woh!
“The northern governors and some northern moslem elites must have persuaded him that they will never vote for a ticket that has a northern Christian on it. And he has agreed with them. But if he thinks a Moslem-Moslem ticket will win him the northern Muslim votes, he should have a rethink. They will massively vote for one of their sons because it is in their nature to do so. Buhari, their first son will not be on the ballot in 2023. Atiku their second son will be.
“Proof of a possible Islamic agenda was leaked when Governor Ganduje, the “Kadmul Islam”, gave advance notice that Tinubu had assured them he would be nominating a moslem as his running mate. For those who might not know, Governor Ganduje has a foundation called “Ganduje Foundation” which purpose according to its website is to “provide selfless service to humanity and Islam” but whose primary purpose it appears is the conversion of Christians to Islam.
“So if my very good friend Tinubu in a desperate bid to become President allows himself to made into a religious bigot or even a mujahideen, he is welcome. But it is a risk that will not play out positively for his presidential bid. But, we’re to he win and become President of Nigeria, it will be as a sectional President; an Islamic President. And he will surely face massive discontent and opposition even before taking off.
“Expecting Nigerians to ignore this crass insensitivity to the country’s diversity amounts to acceding to the perpetration of very grave injustice and discrimination against a huge segment of the society. No one who seeks to be president of Nigeria should ever deploy the tool of religious extremism and exclusivism as a tool to win elections. This is very very dangerous. And this is very sad.
“But, baring any last minute change of mind, Bola has made his choice. He should be bluntly told that in this choice Nigerian Christians clearly see a pending Islamic Republic of Nigeria in its infancy and are right to be severely anxious.
“There is gloom among the Christian community all over the country since Tinubu announced Kashim Shetima as his running mate. Are the generality of the moslem ummah happy with this? The answer is a resounding NO.
“How then do we respond? The decision as to how to respond to this deliberately senseless act of provocation is both corporate to each religious group and also personal to each voter that love peace, and hate injustice. Christians want to continue to leave peacefully with their moslem neighbors at home, at school, at the work place, in the markets and on the streets as we have always done or desired to do. And I am sure Moslems share this view too. No one person’s ambition to rule over us should be allowed to set us apart and at war with one another.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should be compelled upon by whoever can do so to rescind this decision. President Mohammed Buhari should exercise his powers as the Commander-in-Chief and as the APC Leader to revoke this nomination of a VP by Tinubu. The APC National Chairman should refuse to sign the nomination forms if not rescinded.
“There is a story in the bible on how some people responded to similar provocation:
“And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance from the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents” (1 Kings 12:16).
“I will love for Bola to be our next President. But I am afraid a Moslem-Moslem ticket will be “Dead on Arrival”. And the arrival date according to INEC’s election timetable is 25th February 2023. This ticket will drag the whole APC members to the pit. We all should reject it.”
***says Christians will be massively Mobilises to ensure Nigeria’s unity is sustained in 2023
The All Progressives Congress (APC) argument that Senator Kashim Shetitma was chosen as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate based on competency has been criticized by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State chapter as insulting.
This was stated in a statement that the Chairman of CAN Kaduna State, Reverend John Joseph Hayab, personally signed and made accessible to newsmen on July 11, 2022.
He said that the Nigerian Federal Character Framework was authoritatively incorporated in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution with the following description, removing prejudice in government against any one tribe, at least in form: “…the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of agencies.”
He explained that the statement is to ensure the principle that all public service institutions fairly reflect the country. the government of the linguistic, religious, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the count.
“Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies,” he said.
According to the statement, today there are a lot of concerns from Nigerians over a particular party’s consideration of a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
” Last week, we stated our position in clear terms to establish that the ill decision of a particular political party is not for us a thing of concern, where we clearly illustrated, that when I wish to eat rice and beans and a particular restaurant chooses to cook only white rice that has not given me any reason to worry because simply what I will need to do is to move to the other restaurants that have prepared what I desire to eat.
“However, just to state the obvious on the matter at hand, though the electorates have no reason to raise eyebrows over wrong decision by any political party.
“But that we have no reason to be worried about it does not also suggest that such a decision is not condemnable.
“The implication of such a decision is that such a candidate has no respect for the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria,
“it also suggests that the candidate is just a candidate that priorities selfishness, greed and personal unhealthy interest over the good of the nation.
“The Federal character principle that we talked of above was the product of Gen Yakubu Gowon Administration when after the Civil War it was believed that a particular group occupied major ministries in the nation,” it said.
The statement further said, “But clearly we all know, many have just course to argue that leadership in Nigeria in the most recent past is with high ethnic nepotism, well one can rightly say this is another phase of it in religious shade.
“It is sad that the constitution clearly states that “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.
“And that “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice”, with the very divisive challenges of poor security, hunger, a dying economy to mention but these.
“At a time when Nigeria needs a unifying and productive leader, a good candidate cannot consider a one sided. divisive selection of a running mate despite all genuine agitations against such.
“This shows that should theses persons be elected they will not be listening leaders, it shows that this candidates are insensitive to the concerns of the people and does not care heating the system for selfish gains as they appear disinterested in the unity of the country but their selfish ambition,” it said.
CAN warned that the refusal to listen to wise counsel on this is a confirmation of the anxiety of the people.
“Well as earlier stated, this is not a problem to us as an association serving as the voice of the church. We have performed our role as the voice of the church in the political and social arena, that is our simple role as far as this and the 2023 elections is concern.
“But every candidate should know that he is just one option among others in the 18 approved political parties for the over 84,004,084 of Nigerian voters in the 176,846 polling units to choose from.
“As leaders we will want every political party to know that we will educate, sensitize, and mobilize our ever faithful followers to vote against anything that we judge as a danger against the unity, peace, progress anddevelopment of Nigeria.
“We will reiterate that the political party has her right of will to make decisions that she judge best for her, but they should know too that their decisions only end as an option to the electorate among many other options. Thankfully 2023 is never going to be business as usual”.
Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has urged all citizens to observe all security-related instructions provided by the security agencies during the Sallah celebrations.
In his message for this year’s Eid-El-Kabir, he made this clear and urged the residents to abide by all current recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 because it had not yet been wiped out and still posed a threat to public health.
His message reads: “I am delighted to convey the greetings of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to all residents as we celebrate, once more, the joyous occasion.
“I urge all of us to use the occasion of the celebration to strengthen the bonds of friendship, unity and to reinforce the values of peaceful coexistence that have been the hallmark of FCT citizens.
“The lessons of Eid El Kabir are sacrifice and piety. All these we, as FCT residents, have exhibited in great measure. As we therefore celebrate, I salute your steadfastness.
“I once again wish to remind residents that the FCT was founded on the noble principles of unity and peace and built on a foundation of national strength and perseverance. We should stand firm on these premises and resist all attempts to truncate our march to attaining our desired goals.
“I enjoined all residents of the FCT to live by the tenets of peace and good neighbourliness, hard work and honesty and to use the occasion of the festivities to pray for our President, Muhammad Buhari and other leaders for security, prosperity and development as well as for peaceful and successful elections in 2023.
“Once again, I wish you all Happy Eid El Kabir celebrations”, the message further stated.
President Muhammad Buhari’s fight against insecurity and plans to expand the economy are being supported by the chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, who is optimistic that better days are ahead.
He also called for prayers for the FCT Administration and success of the country’s leadership under President Buhari, for Allah’s guidance, protection, and wisdom to steer the affairs of the nation as his administration winds up.
In his message for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, Maikalangu called for more harmony, love, and peaceful coexistence among people.
This message was made available to newsmen in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Madaki.
The message read in parts “ The Chairman in his Salah messages to residents advised Muslims and all Nigerians to use the Salah period, which he described as a golden opportunity to embrace one another in promoting long-lasting peace and unity in Nigeria.
” Muslims must not fail to sustain such discipline displayed during the last Ramadan fast, to exhibit those qualities that would make Nigeria the best nation in the globe can always be proud of.
“The occasion should also be used to foster unity, by making exemplified sacrifice amongst all in the spirit of the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim culminating in the celebration of Eid-el-Kabir.
He stressed the need for selfless life of love and sacrifice from the people based on the principles behind the Eid-el-Kabir, thereby urging all residents of AMAC to be law-abiding, as his administration will strive to implement necessary policies to improve the economy of the council.
The chairman while appreciating Almighty Allah for being alive to witness this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration, enjoined all Nigerians, irrespective of their religious and political affiliation to continue to live in peace and harmony with one another; that they should be their brothers’ keeper.
The Chairman reaffirmed the administration’s determination to strengthen enduring institutions for the emergence of a dynamic, orderly, and all-inclusive council, that everyone must see AMAC as his or her collective heritage.
Since the directive for the closing of parks and gardens by 7pm, the Nigeria Union of Journalists FCT Council’s attention has been directed to various online posts disparaging Comrade Ikharo Attah, SSA to the Minister of the FCT on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement.
This information was included in a statement that was released to the media in Abuja and was signed by NUJ Chairman Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche and Council Secretary Comrade Ochiaka Ugwu.
The statement reads: “While as a Council we understand the angst against that policy of the government, we are however worried by the personal attacks even from some journalists against Attah.
“For the avoidance of doubt, as an appointee of government, he was not responsible for the drafting and enactment of the controversial policy, nor is he responsible for the directive on parks and gardens closure.
“It is in this regard that we urge our colleagues to express their displeasure with civility and within the realm of decency. The idea of personal attacks with some bordering on threats is unwelcomed and should cease.
“We do not wish that some unscrupulous elements latch on to these suggestive messages and see it as an avenue to cause physical harm to Mr. Attah or any of his loved ones.
“Mr. Attah has distinguished himself as a journalist who at all times upheld the code and ethics of the profession and remains no less a thoroughbred professional.
“Without a doubt, his job schedule places a difficult task on him and he continues to execute his mandate without malice or the intention to wilfully hurt any citizen of the FCT.
“It is instructive to state that the NUJ joined parks’ operators today, Tuesday, to meet officials of the FCTA on the way forward and will continue to engage the administration in finding a way out of the ongoing conversation regarding the operations of parks and gardens in Abuja.
“At the meeting, our representative highlighted the disruption to the value chain which is huge that parks and gardens offer, therefore, the need to look at whatever existing policy there is so as to accommodate all segments of Abuja society. We reiterate our commitment to our community – Abuja – and will always work towards a better and inclusive territory”, the statement further stated.
Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nigeria.
The six Area Councils in the nation’s capital and other stakeholders have received a total of N2,918,292,782.67 billion from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as their share of the statutory allocation for the month of May 2022.
Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, Minister of State for the FCT, presided over the 165th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting and praised all significant players for their dedication to the allocation committee.
The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, who attended the meeting in Aliyu’s place, urged both the old and new chairman to carry out their responsibilities appropriately and emphasized that the political era was finished.
She appealed to the chairmen not to see themselves as representatives of any political party but rather, representatives of the people.
“Please don’t see yourselves as PDP or APC Chairmen, rather see yourselves as chairmen of the people,” she stressed.
While harping on environmental sanitation of the councils, the minister charged the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) to work in synergy with the council’s authorities with a view to achieving the desired results.
A breakdown of the figures released indicate that the sum of N631,035,849.37 million was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N2,287,256,933.30 billion was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N2,918,292,782.67 billion.
However, distributions to area councils show that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N136,208,827.21million, while Gwagwalada got N96,081,891.11 million and Kuje received N131,764,662.27million.
Other area councils include, Bwari Area Council received N91, 009,759.01million, Abaji got N94,094,080.35million while Kwali received N81,876,629.42million, bringing the total sum to N631,035,849.37million disbursed to the six area councils.
Furthermore, distribution to other critical stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,923,745,610.27billion, 15 percent Pension Funds took N226,478,989.57million, One percent Training Fund gulped N29,182,927.83million, while 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution gulped N107,849,405.63million, bringing the total sum to N2,287,256,933.37billion.
Those present at the 165th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), meeting include the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Federal Commissioner representing FCT at the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, Hon. Tanko Abari, and Director of Administration and Finance, FCT Area Council Services Secretariat, Mrs. Omolola Olanipekun.
Others include Chairman Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Christopher Zakka, Chairman Abaji Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Umar Abdullahi, Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Hon. Danladi Chiya, Vice Chairman of Bwari Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Musa Bwari amongst others.
The Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to paying all outstanding debts owed to contractors that have already completed a number of contracts awarded by the council’s immediate past administration.
The Chairman gave this guarantee to angry contractors who had not yet been paid for work completed under the previous administration.
In spite of the budget issues, Maikalangu stated that the government had given the contractors one month’s salary from the just ended administration, and he pleaded with them to be patient.
The Chairman expressed confidence that the contractors will receive payment as soon as feasible while attributing the delay to declining internal income collection and anticipated money from the federal government.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant, Media And Public Affairs , Mr Kingsley Madaki stated that: “It will be unfair for your money to be tied down somewhere for number of years.
“As you all know this is a new administration. I resumed office on the 14th of June 2022, so I felt that we should invite all the contractors owned by the previous administration so we can know ourselves. You have worked for the council and you deserve your payment.
“But also I want you to have it at the back of your mind that very soon we will call you on a proper inspection of all the projects you said you have have completed. We are going focused on projects that has reached 100 percent completion.
“Let the truth be told we may not pay all. Don’t expect us to perform magic from us, because all the necessary findings must be done before any payment. Most of the debt is traced to 2016 to 2019. Government is a continuous we want to assure you that we will gradually pay it”
He assured; “We are making serious efforts in ensuring that we get the expected funds from the federal government, and we are also ensuring that we up-scale our Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) to enable us offset our liabilities. I want to assure you that all our contractors will be paid soon”. He said.
While thanking the the Chairman on his promises to offset the debt owned by the previous administration, Engr. Bello Shafiw the Managing Director of Christal Love AND TINA Nigeria LTD, said the audience given by the new council Chairman was a huge step in the right direction.
“With this kind of Chairman in the leadership of the council, the residents should be rest assured that things will work well for good. We didn’t expect to call us or have any interest in paying a debt he didn’t acquire. Most of us have lost hope since, but with this assurance we have gotten here today our hope is revived already. Some of us are being owed for years after the completion of jobs. We have been asking and nobody answered us but thank God for the answer we have gotten from this present administration” he said.
The owners and operators of recreational facilities in Abuja have been upset by the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) decision to enforce the Park Policy, which mandates that all nightlife revelers leave parks at 7 o’clock in the evening. They have bemoaned the loss of revenue.
Around 8:14 p.m., the well-known Eden Garden in Jabi saw the start of the enforcement, which subsequently spread to the Deli Restaurant and Garden in Wuse Zone 4, the Par Excellence Waterfalls and Park in Wuse Zone 5, the Unity Global Garden in Wuse Zone 4, and the Grillzhut Garden. At City Park in Wuse II, it came to an end.
Most of the locations were still filled with nightlife enthusiasts and customers seated around their pleasure tables in various clusters, but they reluctantly left when the enforcement squad arrived and interrupted their groove.
Madam Winners Wokoma who runs a sit out restaurant at the Eden Garden, said her losses due to the policy would be enough to send someone to the grave, but will comply with the orders.
Also, a Manager at the elites City Park, Wuse II, Micheal Akogwu said he opted to close exactly at 7pm in compliance with the directives to avoid troubles from the government.
While adding that the revenue losses in the Park is very colossal, considering different segments that offer unique services with their attractive selling points.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah said enforcing the policy was not meant to kill people’s businesses, but to instill a sense of sanity to the parks and recreation sector.
He, however, regretted that the good intentions of the administration in allocating parks and gardens has been abused , he called for understanding and compliance.
He, therefore, assured that the administration will continue to dialogue with owners and operators of parks, to fine tune the processes, to ensure seamless implementation.
According to him: ” We came out this night for advocacy enforcement, we have gone round some gardens to ensure compliance to FCTA Park policy 2005 that states that parks should close by 7pm, that is why we appear to be very soft.
” Everyone is concerned about parks operators, we really want them to make money, but we still need orderliness. Parks are not lounges, nightclub and hotels. They have specific guidelines on how they should operate. I think with time, everyone will begin to adjust”.
The attention of NGWA Daughters Development Association, ABUJA, (NDDA) has said that they did not in anyway endorsed Prof Gregory Ibe as their visit has their visit has no political undertone.
Saying, their attention was drawn to the report of the visit of NDDA, Abuja, to Prof Gregory Ibe, on Sunday 3rd July 2022, at Abuja, presently trending on socio media.
The association hinted that the group never endorsed Prof Gregory Ibe, as the scheduled occasion has no political colouration at all.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the National President of Ngwa Daughters Development Association, Abuja Mrs Ngozi Ufomba Nwokenneya.
“That the Ngwa Daughters Development Association (NDDA), Abuja, paid a courtesy visit to Prof Gregory Ibe on 3rd July, 2022.
“That the visit was specifically to formally invite Prof Gregory Ibe to her Ceremony/conferment of Awards to deserving Abians and Nigerians.
“That NDDA, is a very reputable and apex Ngwa Women’s association, has not actually given a thought of who becomes the Governor of Abia State, come 2023, and will make her opinion on whom to support known at the appropriate time, after proper assessment.
“That NDDA, appreciates Prof Gregory Ibe and other revered Abians, on their developmental strides in Abia State, and encourages them to do more, as Charity begins at home.
“The Ngwa Daughters development Association, Abuja, therefore uses this auspicious moment to request all Abians, especially the Ngwa nation, to ensure they obtain their permanent voter’s cards to enable them to fully participate and vote the candidates of their choice during the 2023 general elections” the statement further stated.
