The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has assured that the Administration will do everything possible to strengthen the entire routine immunization structure and primary health care landscape in the nation’s capital.

This, according to her is in total commitment to the vision of Mr. President to polio eradication in Nigeria.

Aliyu gave this assurance at the first meeting of the FCT Taskforce on Polio Eradication Initiative and Routine Immunization for the year 2022 to discuss and strategize on matters of routine immunization activities.    

The minister who was represented by her Senior Special Assistant on Administration, Prof. Muhammad Usman, noted that through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Administration is already rehabilitating the Primary Health Care infrastructure, engaging additional health workers and providing essential medicines to further strengthen the PHC sector    

She also noted that the efforts of the Taskforce has contributed significantly to the success of polio campaigns in the territory with no wild Polio Virus confirmed in FCT for over 7 years, just as she called for regular meetings of the Taskforce.  

The minister used the occasion to call on chairmen of the six area councils to strengthen commitments to the polio eradication and routine immunization activities in their various councils by regular release of counterpart funds and personal attendance at all meetings of the FCT Task Force on Polio Eradication Initiative and Routine Immunization.  

Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary, Health and Human Services, Dr. Abubakar Tafida, revealed that the secretariat would deployed 1,639 teams in 4 days starting from January 22 to vaccinate 1165981 under 5 years children in 2,837 communities across the territory.  

Tafida charged participants to identify numerous challenges facing immunization landscape at the FCT area council and community levels with a view to finding solutions to those challenges.  

It would be recalled that in 2015, Mr President personally signed the reviewed Abuja Commitments document on behalf of the Federation while the Chairman, Governors’ Forum signed on behalf of the 36 States Governors and the Minister of FCT to ensure a Polio free Nation with clear responsibilities for each tier of government.  

A well-known economist ,Aliyu Yusha’u on Thursday urged the FCT Administration’s newly established Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and Public Private Partnership Secretariat to devise new ways to improve internal revenue generation and lowering governance expenses.

He said, the Secretariat has a monumental task of galvanizing all stakeholders to find areas where sustainable investment could be made to scale up revenue production, in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

While saying that the government’s declining revenue necessitates a high-tech solution to help the administration maintain revenue production while carrying out its responsibilities of providing services to FCT inhabitants despite rising costs of governance.

He further added that the cost of governance is occasioned by the geometric increase in the influx of people from other parts of the country into the FCT thereby making it one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

Yusha’u hinted that the Secretariat has to prioritize the transportation system in FCT by working hard to attract investors that can standardised it and make it efficient and profitable. 

He also explained that several opportunities for agricultural value chains that can be exploited exist for the Secretariat to take advantage of.

While he said that if the administration wants to reduce cost of governance,  there was need to provide world class infrastructural development, which both working and non working classes of residents can leverage to build economic capacity. 

According to him,” In my own opinion, unless we coordinate economic activities,  there is no way we can profer solutions to our budgetary deficiencies,  so therefore the creation of that Secretariat is a welcome development. 

”  First of all, there is need to identify areas of where the Public will capacity and interests,  these two things must be put into cognizance. 

” Then create an awareness and go ahead to institutionalize the body that can coordinate investors within the city, Nigeria and outside the country.  You also have to look at the challenges of the city , identify the basic challenges of the city.

” One of the basic challenges in FCT, is deficient  transportation system, the residents,  especially those at the suburb depends on transportation system.

” The new Secretariat has to find a way to make the transport system standard and look for investors both within and outside Nigeria”, he said.

Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has hinted that, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved two projects for the Nation’s Capital at the sum of N56.2 billion naira.

He gave this hint on Wednesday at the end the Meeting of the Council which held on Wednesday 19th January, 2022.

He said that, the projects are for the full scope development of the FCT Highway 105 (Kuje Road) from Airport Expressway to Kuje Junction (Stage 1), at the cost of N54,946,909,160.04 and the construction of access road and car Park for the Abuja Light Rail Gbazango Station (Lot 7) at the sum of N1,291,568,845.33.

Providing insight into the justification for the two projects, the Minister explained that the construction of the road from Kuje to Airport Expressway became necessary because the existing 2-lane single carriage way road is grossly inadequate to carry the current traffic and presently in a deplorable condition requiring frequent rehabilitation.

He stated that, when fully constructed, the road will open up for development, parts of Phase V of the Federal Capital City (FCC) as well as open up the Kuje Satellite Town, while connecting the Airport Expressway to the future Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) in line with the Abuja Master Plan.

According to him, the project will also decongest the vehicular traffic originating from the Federal Capital City (FCC) to Kuje and provide free traffic flow along the route as well as provide an alternative route to Gwagwalada road.

According to Bello, the 9Km road with a spur to Kyami district, is one of the key regional roads of the Federal Capital Territory that traverses the FCT from the North to the South that is planned to link other future Federal Roads to the FCT and other parts of the Country.

Speaking on the access road and car Park for the Abuja Light Rail Gbazango Station, the Minister said the public attraction to the completed Gbazango Train Station in the area has necessitated need to provide immediate access to-and-from the train station and to further enhance maximum functionality Abuja Rail Mass Transit System (ARMTS) of the Federal Capital City (FCC) due to commenced operation.

He further stated that, “The project, when completed, will help to create access and open up the area to allow for physical development to be realized. It will further reduce traffic pressure being experienced on the existing roads within the area as well as link up with the Outer Northern Expressway-ONEX (Murtala Muhammed Expressway)”.

He added that the facility will improve the security situation in the area, create job opportunities as well as the enhancement of socio-economic activities of the FCT.

The Gbazango Station located within Gbazango area of Kubwa Satellite Town is planned to start from the existing Arab Road and connect the train station through a service facility corridor in Gbazango and Kubwa areas.

In order to drive the economic development of the nation, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Mr. Olusade Adesola has called for more support for women.

He made this known when he played host to the President of Women Agro Processors, Agric Gen and Exporters Initiative, Mrs. Esther Adebayo on a courtesy visit to his office.

He , however,describe women as very enterprising, while added that womenfolk are making positive and invaluable contributions in their various communities

The Permanent Secretary in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tony Odey commended the President of Women Agro Processors, Agric Gen and Exporters Initiative for stepping up advocacy campaign to forestall the issue of rejection of Nigeria’s products at the international markets.

He also stressed the need for regulatory Agencies to maintain high ethical standard as part of precautionary measure to nip in the bud the issue of rejection of the country’s goods outside the shores of Nigeria.

Earlier, in her remarks, the President of Women Agro Processors, Agric Gen and Exporters Initiative, Mrs. Esther Adebayo expressed the readiness of the Association to consolidate Nigeria’s economy by offering assistance to the country in the area of agro-processing and export business.

She further explained that part of the mission of the Association include; fostering debate and exchange of ideas, between the Federal Government, Regulatory Agencies, relevant stakeholders and exporters to find lasting solutions that will ensure reduction of rejection of the country’s products at the international markets.

Mrs. Adebayo also used the occasion to call on the National Assembly to immediately carry out constitutional amendment that will compel the 36 States of the Federation to have agro processing factories.

In an effort to boost food security and production , the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a 16-man committee on organic agriculture innovation platform/technical advisory.

Inaugurating the committee on Wednesday, the mandate Secretary FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim said the committee would help in strengthening the Organic agriculture initiatives across the territory.

He further stated that with the committee more will be done in the area of food security as well as boosting the production.

Ibrahim noted that the committee members were selected from diverse background based on the recommendation contained in the proposed National Policy on Organic Agriculture which would address the challenges of organic agriculture in the Federal Capital Territory.

His words, “The committee is constituted in line with the recommendation contained in the proposed National Policy on Organic Agriculture in anticipation of the purposeful contributions and crucial roles you are going to play in addressing the challenges of organic agriculture in FCT.

“This inauguration is also an indication that that FCT Administration is desirous to make the practice of organic agriculture a reality in the territory” he said.

The mandate Secretary who heads the committee listed terms of the reference to include to propose programs, policies and regulations for the development of organic produce/ products value.

Others are to facilitate mobilization and organizing stakeholders in the Organic farming value chain into viable cooperatives societies that will be capable of supporting their aspirations of deriving health, economic and social benefits from the sector amongst others.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said the administration is not forcing staff to compulsorily take the COVID-19 vaccination, they either come with COVID-19 negative result test, or prove of vaccination.

The FCT Minister Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikaro Attah gave this hint on Tuesday in continuation of the enforcement exercise.

He said , visits to FCTA
Departments and Agencies showed 70 percent compliance, saying, the turnout of individuals who had took their jab since it began was impressive.

According to him, “Like yesterday, we have massive turn out of staff that are fully vaccinated, we have gone to FCT departments and agencies and have seen that the staff are fully vaccinated. What we will continue to insist is that the vaccination is not by force, we are not forcing people to take the job or vaccine. We are only telling people to come with either COVID-19 negative result test, or prove of vaccination.

“We are happy that there is high level of compliance, as of today the enforcement hit 70%, with the impressive turn up and the ongoing vaccination we are almost there” .

While speaking on staff that stay away from their offices, Attah said that the permanent secretary (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola said such staff will be treated as someone who stay away from work.

According to him, “The FCT permanent secretary is clear about that, anyone who stays away from the office will be treated as someone who is on the run, and the civil service rule is clear about it. The Permanent Secretary with Director Human Resource Management, Mallam Bashir Muhammed have made it very clear that if you decide to stay at home because you don’t have evidence of vaccination, or COVID-19 negative result test, you will be treated in line with the civil service rule”

Attah stated that COVID-19 vaccination centres are all over the city, thus people are advised to go for their jab, saying the exercise was for no fee.

Ebikun Adekunle, one of the staff who spoke with our correspondent, said “I’m a Staff here , and I got to know that I won’t entre the office without collecting the vaccine or showing proof negative status. This is the main reason I collected the vaccine”.

He attributed his hesitancy to rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccine especially in the social media.

Similarly, Ebi Blessing, who was on a visit to the FCTA, seen receiving her COVID-19 vaccine jab at the Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Area 11, said she had no other option than to accept the vaccine, in order to gain access to the government facility.

They wouldn’t allow us to gain access the FCTA premises, except we get vaccinated or present negative COVID-19 test result. So I was not willing but compelled to do so, she said.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister , Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has tested negative to COVID-19 virus.

He made this known in a message he sent on his social media handle via his Facebook titled: “I’m now free of COVID-19” on Tuesday.

His message read in parts, “Best regards to all. Pleased to report that after taking my prescribed course of COVID-19 medication, I feel very well and great. The doctors have confirmed that I’m now free of the virus and it’s OK for me to resume all official activities.

“I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to all those who showed great concern on my health status, through various channels of communication.

“I also wish to commend the FCTA Medical team for their commitment and dedication to duty. All COVID-19 patients in the FCT are truly thankful to you.

“Let me use this opportunity to further reiterate that COVID-19 is very much around. I therefore once more, I appeal to residents to get themselves vaccinated. Doing so could save their lives”.

It would be recalled that the minister came down with COVID-19 on the 31st of December, 2021.