Ahead of the unveiling of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet nominees, stakeholders and interest groups are putting in words and recommendations to influence who the president nominates as the minister for the Federal Capital Territory.
All this is just as efforts by past FCT ministers to develop the city, in terms major highways and providing infrastructure in new layouts, have come into focus.
Among the interest groups are indigenes of the FCT who believe a minister from among them will strengthen the ruling party in the territory.
Also lobbying the president are political interest groups from the North central region, particularly Niger State who hoping to be rewarded for giving the APC the highest number of votes in the region, coupled with the historical fact that a large part of the FCT was carved out of Niger State.
Private developers also want President Tinubu to nominate an FCT minister with a vision, and the capacity to deliver a modern transport system, open up more development areas and build the infrastructure that will match the growing population of the city.
The growing population puts pressure on the new government to come with more creative ways to develop infrastructure and open up more districts at a faster rate than previous administrations.
Real estate expert and convener of the Abuja Housing Show, Festus Adebayo, has stressed the urgency for the Tinubu-led federal government and the FCTA to implement the Abuja Master Plan.
According to Adebayo, this implementation is crucial for the planned and sustainable growth of Abuja, which has been rightfully recognised as one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abuja the housing advocate emphasised the need for reorganising the transportation system in Abuja to enhance ease of movement. He believes that a well-planned and efficient transportation system is essential for the city’s overall development.
Three weeks ago, Adebayo raised an alarm regarding land grabbing in Abuja, which has led to insecurity in real estate investments. He called on the new FCT Minister that will be appointed to introduce an agenda to address this issue, particularly focusing on retired officials who are allegedly selling lands without proper documentation.
He proposed the strengthening of Mobile Courts to address land and regional planning issues, emphasising the need for accountability.
The real estate expert also highlighted the urgency of passing the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill into law.
The priority of indigenes of the FCT, is however more focused on the politics of governing to city and getting the opportunity to considered for the ministerial position.
The chief executive officer of Abuja Original Inhabitant Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) Amb. Isaac David said that an indigene of Abuja deserved to be appointed as a minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ensure the success of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) in the capital territory.
David who is also the immediate past Special Adviser on Youths Matters to the former FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, blamed the constant defeat of ruling political parties in the FCT on the usual appointment of a none indigene to serve as minister of the FCT.
He said that the position of FCT minister from indigenous persons of the FCT is something they have been advocating for, for equal rights and justice to be done to the people of Abuja.
“It is not illegal, by law it is legal. We are qualified by law to have an appointed Minister that will represent us in the cabinet. However, it might not necessarily be the minister of the FCT, but giving us the minister of the FCT is doing the party a great favor.
“The present government needs to get it right, especially the party. The ruling party has been finding it difficult to win elections in the FCT because the wrong people are always appointed to be ministers of the FCT. They should appoint an indigenous person as the minister of the FCT and see the difference,” he said.
There however appears to be a stronger and more discreet lobby from political heavy weights in Niger to have to ministerial position awarded to it amid unconfirmed reports that the former governor of the state, Abubakar Sani Bello is ready give up his senatorial seat to be minister.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that since 1999 Only Nassarrawa and Kogi state have produced Minister of State for the territory from the zone even as the territory shares close boundaries with some of other North Central states.
Historically, Niger state which, ceded most parts of its land to the capital territory has not produced even a Minister of state for the territory since 1999 to date .
A member of National Executive Council of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Babasule Bissalla (Sarkin Shanu Suleja) said the need for the zone and specifically Niger state to produce the next minister for FCT was long overdue.
He posited that such a minister will be able to develop a synergy with the neighboring cities like Suleja that “has become a trash can for the excesses from the FCT and remember FCT started from here in Niger state specifically Suleja”.
Also speaking the Convener North Central Youth’s Stakeholders Forum Comrade Mohammed Mohammed said the North Central has shown support for the emergence of the present administration and asking for the FCT minister is not asking for too much.
He said specifically, Niger state has sacrificed both its landmass and politically, which was why the forum is also asking for Deputy Senate President.
Mohammed said that for fairness, the zone needs to be well patronized, hence Niger state should be given the FCT Minister.
Buy before leaving office, the immediate past minister of the territory reeled out some of his achievements, roads he initiated, those he inherited and completed and the infrastructure he has provided in new districts.
Bello is the longest serving minister of the FCT spending 8 years in office.
In his very last public engagement a day before leaving office, the minister flagged off the groundbreaking contract for the N184bn final engineering, design and infrastructure development of Maitama II District.
His administration also provided engineering infrastructure to the Wuye district. Wuye District is one of the residential Districts in Phase II of the Federal Capital City. It has a total land area of about 411 hectares with an expected population of about 40,000 inhabitants.
The contract for the Provision of Engineering Infrastructure to Wuye District is one of the district projects inherited by the Bello Administration. However, before the commencement of this Administration, works were stalled due to huge financial liabilities. There was also the need to provide the necessary Interchange Bridge linking Wuye and Wuse I District, Zone 7.
The immediate past administration inherited some projects from the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration which had Bala Mohammed as the FCT Minister, and those projects were completed during the Buhari administration.
Some of the inherited projects from the Bala Mohammed-led FCT administration, and completed by Bello’s administration are; the Kaduna – Abuja – Lokoja Federal Highway (A2).
The Bello administration also inherited the Railway Crossing Bridge and some segments of the road outstanding, which have been completed, rolled out, and put to use.
Another inherited project is the Airport Expressway is the primary road that links the Federal Capital City (FCC) and the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Another inherited road project is the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which is the expressway linking the Abuja Keffi Highway.
The administration has almost completed the construction of the Constitution and Independence Avenue which are located within the Abuja Central Area District in Phase I of the City.
The District houses the 3-Arms Zone, Cultural Zone, Diplomatic Zone, Ministries, States Liaison Offices, Corporate Offices, and Commercial developments. The project area spans from Circle Road in the Three Arms Zone to the National Stadium along the Independence and Constitution Avenues.
Unlike the administration of Bello, Adamu Aliero, who was appointed by President Umaru Yar’Adua in December 2008 was in office for only 16 months. They were months however very impactful months as his development projects would change the face of the FCT.
Aliero awarded the N257 billion the contracts for the construction of two super highways; the Kubwa Highway and the Lugbe/Airport Road. The contracts involved expansion of the roads to 10 lanes as well as the rehabilitation of the existing expressways.
Both highways were completed by his successor in office, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi.
Mohammed on his part initiated the Apo-Karshi road project which was awarded to M/S Kakatar CE. Big. Limited in 2011, with a completion period of 20 months.
