The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has said that laws are underway to ensure that established cases of rape are no longer bailable in the country.

This, according to her is to serve as a deterrent to culprits.  

Aliyu made this known during the official presentation of a compendium titled “My COVID-19 Story; Voice Of Hope and Resilience”, which chronicled different experiences of young girls during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, also stressed the need to protect the dignity of the girl child.  

The Minister , who was represented by the Deputy Director Administration in the office of FCT Minister of State, Mrs. Maria Ogbonnaya-Ngwu, hinted the FCT Administration has established a centre to address cases of girls who are abused or suppressed.  

Her words ; “It is also gratifying to know that our dear President, Muhammadu Buhari, in him lies a man that believes in the worth of the girl child. We have been able to present to him various cases of gender based violence in the Federal Executive Council.  

“Let me assure you that laws will soon be rolled out, to serve as deterrent to culprits that are guilty or people found culpable of abuses of the girl child. Unlike before, the rape case becomes ‘bailable’ now we are working towards that it would no longer be a bailable offence.  

“In the Federal Capital Territory, we have been able to give succour to the Girl-child, we have been able to encourage the Girl-child, we have been able to make them believe in themselves. The Girl-child is not subordinate to any other child. The administration will continue to boost this, and continue to preach this experience and embark on advocacy”.  

While commending Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja for taking the initiative in bringing young girls together to pen down their own experiences during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, she also expressed the confidence that 25 years of post Bejing conference, the girl child is waxing stronger.  

Earlier , the Founder and President of Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, noted that the unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has re-defined global health and lifestyle, stressing that governments across the world have had to adopt concrete measures to stop the spread of the virus and reduce the negative impact on the socio-economic life of their citizens.  

She , however, noted that the virus has dymistified technologies of the advanced countries including developing nations, noting that if there anything the virus has thought humans, it is the supremacy of God.  

Ahmadu assured that Helpline Foundation for the Needy would continue to champion the rights of the girl child despite challenges posed by the outbreak of the virus.  

… Chide Criminals From Vandalising It, FCTA Urged

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday appealed to residents of Jiwa Chiefdom to chide criminals from vandalising the ongoing Abuja Rail Mass Transit project.

Saying, the project which was undertaken by a foreign loan is yet to be fully operational and most of the infrastructures are being vandalized.

Speaking on behalf of the Administration, the Acting Secretary, Transport Secretariat, Mrs. Alice Odey-Achu said they shot down operations because of Covid-19 pandemic and will commence operation as soon as, while adding that the administration has made procurement of two new coaches.

She gave this hint at a meeting with the Emir of Jiwa, district and village heads of Jiwa Chiefdom on the reason why they must own the Abuja Rail Mass Transit and protect it from vandals.

Her words; “Abuja Rail Mass Transithas twelve stations and eight out the the twelve runs through Jiwa Chiefdom and three is operational as we speak.

“Chinese people , who are partners in the project draw our attention to vandalization of the on going Mass Rail project, saying, ” the track are being destroyed, the walls are broken, mental protectors were removed.

“There is nothing, they put on the ground that is not very important . Our fear is that, when they start operations, it’s those little, little things that causes accident and loss of lives and properties.

She continued :”Train is safe. But when these small small things are vandalized, we cannot tell what the consequences may be” she cried out”.

Meanwhile, the Emir of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa who advised the delegation from FCTA to engaged the community men as security guard over the rail facilities, while calling for the speedy implementation of the reports earlier sent to the FCT Administration over the same matter.

He further stated, “It is our duty to ensure that the people and infrastructure are protected….let Government be serious. Abuja is a combination of the good, bad and ugly… Employ those in the community as security guard to protect the infrastructures and let government implement the advise we gave them”

He also charged all District and Village Heads to watch over the infrastructures in their domain or be held responsible.

In to ensure a safe and disaster-free environment for all residents, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured residents that it will not relent in its efforts at risk prevention and mitigation.

This was made known in a statement issued by the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to commemorate the 2020 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR), stressed that risk reduction has been at the centre of the FCT’s disaster management’s strategy.

Director General of FEMA, Abbas Idriss, disclosed that FEMA’s resource allocation has always been in favour of risk prevention and mitigation rather than relief and rehabilitation.

Idriss added that the agency has involved itself in conflict management in FCT communities including mediation between cattle herders and Farmers.

He, however, explained that this year’s theme, “Disaster Risk Governance,” according to the United Nations, ‘is about conveying the message that many disasters can be avoided or prevented if there are disaster risk reduction strategies in place to manage and reduce existing levels of risk and to avoid the creation of new risk, which amounts to good disaster risk governance.

According to the statement; “The Agency, is proud to state that from its inception in June 2013, it has been operating on a risk prevention strategy that is driven by synergy with various stakeholders.

“This synergy is derived from a document produced by FEMA and its Stakeholders under the auspices of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in August 2013- the FCT Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP), which is reviewed annually to meet the challenges of current and emerging disasters in the Federal Capital Territory.”

The FEMA boss added that as part of its Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, the Agency has created a high level of awareness amongst the FCT residents on a number of emergency management issues, especially the need to avoid acts that increase the people’s vulnerability to disaster risk.

He said the administration has also created strong synergies amongst Stakeholders and Agencies involved in emergency prevention, mitigation and response activities in the FCT.
Already, he said the FCTA has established Volunteer/Disaster Vanguard at Schools and communities where 200 volunteers have been registered and 400 vanguards were registered in schools and communities.

More so, the agency has successfully carried out Hazard Mapping and Vulnerability Assessment of the FCT with continuous sensitization of communities across the Six (6) Area Councils on flood (and other risks) prevention, response and mitigation.

He, therefore, appealed to residents of the territory to take personal and collective responsibility in ensuring safety by avoiding risk behaviours that increase the people’s vulnerability to disasters.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has assured residents of the Dutse Alhaji and Bwari of the administration commitment to ensure that the contractor handling the road project complete it in two months.

Speaks on behalf of the Administration, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Task Team on Decongestion of Traffic, Comrade Ikharo Attah, appealed to residents for understanding , saying, he is confident that very soon, the job will be delivered.

According to Attah ; ‘’Without mincing words, am very confident that this work will be delivered in the next two months but we shall continue to appeal to residents to be a little patient and show understanding as all the FCT efforts is aimed at relieving your burdens from this unwarranted gridlock’’.

‘’We believe that the security officers would be very much on ground to ensure a free flow of traffic through out this hard periods, we are appealing to all motorists and commuters to please bare with the administration for the pains because it is for this reason the FCT Ministers and Permanent Secretary decided to expand this stretch of the road’’.

On his part, the FCDA Representative, Engr. Bayo Baderiwa gave the assurance that the company will deliver good job and meet the two months target as the contractor and FCDA authority would be on ground day and knight .

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) along Dutse Alhaji and Bwari have urged the FCT authorities to hasten up the on going road expansion project along that road axis.

They criticized the slow pace of work going on along the Dutse-Alhaji/ Bwari road, stressing that the delay has brought untold hardship and lost of quality man-hours to residents of the area.

The project which was awarded by the Federal Capital Development Authority to Setraco Construction Company (SCC) is part of efforts aimed at reducing the daily traffic gridlock experienced on that road axis.

A resident of Bwari , Mr. Johnson Bello, told newsmen that residents along the road leave home to work by 5.30am daily to enable them get to their work places in Abuja city centre to avoid the perennial traffic gridlock.

Also commenting, a Driver, Alhaji Ismaila Murktar said that they do not only face severe gridlock but also experience daily extortion by traffic officers.

He said, ‘’There is no doubt that the FCT administration is even helping us by expanding the road but we are begging them to hasten the completion of this road.

In her remarks, the Assistant Corps Unit Commander, Duste Alhaji of Federal Road Safety Corps [FRSC], Aderonke Dele, rehretted that the major problem they have in hand is the refusal of Uniform men to obey traffic rules and guidelins.

She noted, “We are capable of easying the traffic here despite the ongoing road expansion works but most uniform officers driving along this road usually follow one way, this is not good enough.”

Hope of parents who were excited that their kids are returning to schools after seven months of sit at home due to the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) dashed following the decision of teachers to chase their pupils home.

The teachers under the auspices of the FCT Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT noted that Area Council Chairmen in the territory have refused to implement the national minimum wage as well as payment of arrears.

Our correspondent who visited one of the LEA Primary School in Kubwa which also houses the Junior Secondary School, Kubwa, the pupils had been chased out of their classrooms from as early as 8am. Only students of the junior secondary school were allowed in, as Secondary school teachers had been paid by the FCT Administration.

It would be recalled that earlier in September, Chairman of the Union, Stephen Knabayi had directed members not to resume work whenever schools were reopened.

He said while the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the payment of the new minimum wage, the six Area Councils in the territory who are saddled with the payment of primary school teachers have refused to budge.

The FCTA had on October 8 slated the reopening of schools in the territory for Monday, October 12, announcing the cancellation of Third Term and equally warning private schools against demanding fees for the cancelled term.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello who gave the directives at a stakeholders meeting in Abuja however added that all boarding schools would be reopened a day earlier.

The  Minister of the federal Capital  Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has reiterated the commitment of the Administration to support staff cooperative housing schemes.

While saying that , one of the greatest desires of a family is to own a house.

He made this known  when he performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the 404 unit staff housing estate of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council’s Cooperative Society at the Wasa District of the FCT yesterday.

According to him; “with the FCTA’s staff strength of over 27000 you will agree with me that so many of our compatriots within the staff structure of the FCT would desire to have their homes.”

He commended the AMMC Staff Cooperative Society for embarking on the project and pledged the support of the FCTA to ensure its completion while calling on other cooperative societies to emulate the foresight of the AMMC Cooperative Society.

Saying, the action of the AMMC Cooperative Society, the Minister said was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of providing housing to Nigerians in order to bridge the current national housing deficit.

Earlier, the President of the Cooperative Engr Muhammad Hamisu disclosed that the plot measuring 4.2 hectares was allocated in 2015 and will contain 404 housing units made up of 224 flats in one bedroom block of flats. 112 flats contained in 2 bedroom block of flats and 68 flats contained in three bedroom terraces.

He also revealed that the cooperative society was collaborating with the Federal Mortgage Bank and Mutual Alliance Mortgage Bank as the major financiers of the project while the Abuja Property Development Company, (APDC) is the project developer.

The project which is expected to cost 1.5 billion Naira is scheduled to be completed in 2023, Engr Hamisu added.

He also expressed the appreciation of the cooperative to the FCT Minister for granting a waiver on the sum of 9.8 million Naira being the cost of building plan approval fees. He also revealed that the sum of 4.5 million Naira was expended as compensation to the indigenous people affected by the construction.

Present at the event were the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, Executive Secretary, FCDA Engr Umar Gambo Jibrin, Director of Engineering, FCDA, Acting Coordinator, AMMC, Mallam Muhammed Sulaiman, Acting Coordinator Satellite Town Development Department, (STDD) Engr Felix Nwankwo amongst other senior members of staff of the FCTA.

Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, has condemned in a strong terms the abductions of the former Vice Chairman of Kuje Area Council along side some members of the council’s legislative arm by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.  

She , however, described the incident as unfortunate and heinous, while , regretting that the cases of abductions have become so rampant especially in Kuje Area Council of the territory.  

The minister, also assured that the FCT Administration would take drastic measures to address the situation, while appealing to residents of the community to remain calm as efforts are place to recover all kidnapped victims.  

Her words; “It is regrettable and unfortunate that we are still having cases of abductions and kidnappings of innocent citizens in the Federal Capital Territory. It is regrettable because this is the seat of government and we must do everything possible to put to an end this senseless killings and abductions of residents in the territory.  

“However, I want to appeal to residents especially those in the Area Councils to remain calm, as the FCT Administration under the leadership of Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, is working assiduously to protect lives and property of residents. I want to assure you that the security agencies are on top of the situation,” the minister stated.  

It would be recalled that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers stormed Pegi community early hour of Sunday and abducted the Council Vice Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Baba, Legislative members and some political aides.