By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Public Convenience Maintenance Association (PCMA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has denied claims alleging misuse of public toilets as shelters by hoodlums in the nation’s capital.

The Secretary of the association, Malam Usman Umar, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja.

Umar said, ” The attention of the association has been brought to a recent report in one of the national dailies alleging misuse of public toilets as shelters by hoodlums.

” The reporter claimed to have visited some public toilets at Area 1 Roundabout and Lugbe close to car wash, alleging that belongings of hoodlums in different bags were seen within the facilities.

” We firmly deny these claims. We want to emphatically state that our inspections haven’t revealed any evidence supporting the reported concerns.”

Umar said that the association would continue to maintain its commitment to providing clean and functional public toilets.

This, according to him, is with a view to eradicate open defecation by year 2025 inline with Presidential Executive Order 009 throughout the FCT.

He reiterated that the association was committed to collaborating with relevant authorities to ensure the safety and proper use of public facilities in Abuja.

Umar said, ” We encourage anyone with real information about misuse of public toilets to contact us directly.

” We also restate our appreciation for the government’s initiative (Presidential Executive order 009) to build public toilets and eradicate open defecation.

” The association uses this opportunity to express its satisfaction with the leadership style of the FCT Minister, Nyeson Wike; the Minister of State, Dr Mariya Bunkure and Executive Director of FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA).

” We are also grateful to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), the FCT Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS and other security agencies for their hard work to secure the lives of FCT residents and keep Abuja clean.” (NAN)

Edited by Taiye Agbaje/Bashir Rabe Mani

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says a group of 43 Advance Team of the commission will on Sunday depart Abuja for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to mark the commencement of the 2024 pilgrimage.

Malam Mousa Ubandanwaki, Deputy Director, Information & Publications, Division, NAHCON, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the commission had scheduled May 15 for the inaugural flight for the 2024 hajj.

Ubandanwaki explained that the team made up of 35 NAHCON officials and eight Medical Personnel would be in Saudi Arabia for the final preparation to receive the first set of Nigerian pilgrims from Kebbi State, who would be arriving the Kingdom on May 15.

He said that the Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Malam Jalal Arabi, while addressing the team urged them to live up to expectation by discharging their duties in accordance with their mandate.

Arabi noted that the performance of the team could make or mar the success of the exercise.

” You are the first point of call or contact with the pilgrims. Their impression and perception of your action or activities will go a long way towards assessing the commission.

“If you get it right, we get it right and on the contrary, if you get it wrong, the rest will just be about crisis management.

“Therefore, you must be up and doing in order to earn our reward here and that of Allah in the Hereafter, for treating His Guests well.

“They are the reason you are there, so at every point in time, make sure you attend or treat them with courtesy and respect,” he said.

Arabi, however, warned that the commission would take drastic step against anyone who may be reported to have deviated from the rules of engagement.

The NAHCON boss stated that he would not hesitate to recall any staff accused of dereliction of duties.

He further called on them to “take the admonition seriously” stressing, “the bar has been raised and the expectation is high”.

” You have been carefully selected because of the trust we have in you and as such, you need to brace up.

” Laxity and procrastination will not be tolerated.”

Arabi also stressed the need for the medical personnel to respect their patients and pilgrims ” on whose essence they were going there.

Responding on behalf of the team, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahmud, who is the Madina Coordinator, expressed appreciation to the management for the trust and confidence reposed in them.

He assured of their determination and readiness to make this year’s hajj more successful than the previous years.

“We will ensure that pilgrims get value for money and also do everything possible that pilgrims perform their Hajj rites without hitches Insha Allah.”

NAN reports the team is to organise and coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health and general welfare of the pilgrim held in the Holy land throughout the Hajj period. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will deal squarely with land grabbers, no matter how highly- placed.

Wike gave the warning when officials of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), FCT Chapter, visited him in Abuja on Thursday.

“Land grabbing is not new. Some of your people are part of it, some staff of FCT are part of it.

“As a government, we will do all we can to see that we deal squarely with anybody that is involved, no matter how highly- placed he or she might be.

“It is  a terrible situation we found ourselves in. People grabbing land; people illegally acquiring land, just for the purpose of becoming rich overnight,” the minister said.

He pointed out that everyday ,people write  the FCTA, demanding for land allocation to develop a certain number of houses in the city.

He, however, said that many people were doing that just to obtain a land title and at the end of the day, nothing was developed.

“They will do all they can; take our land and sell it to people for development.

“For me, that is not helping us to reduce the housing deficit, no. That is just a way of taking government land and enriching yourselves at the expense of the government,” he said.

The minister added, “Yes government cannot sell land, so why will the government give out land for the purpose of housing estate and then you are selling the land?

“The government can as well sell the land itself if that is the case.”

Wike said that to address the challenge, the FCTA had decided that developers must show financial capacity before land would be allocated to them in FCT.

He added that a reputable commercial bank must also write an undertaking that the developer has the financial capacity for such development.

“Two, you will write an undertaking that the project will commence and be completed within a specified time without any condition attached to it.

“Three, that failure to develop the land, the government is entitled to take back its land. It does not matter what form of development you are putting there.

“If that is done, then we will be convinced and give you our land allocation with proper documentation,” he said.

He said that the  measures were necessary to ensure that developers do not steal from the government in the name of development.

The minister said that there were currently over 1000 litigations in different courts over land matters, with kore being recorded on daily basis.

The minister also berated real estate developers for not meeting up to their obligations to the government, particularly in the payment of taxes relating to land.

“Even when you sell your properties, you don’t remit part of which belongs to the government.

“So, I want to partner with you but on good faith, not partnership that one party would be detrimental to the other, no. It has to be mutual and symbiotic,” Wike said.

Earlier, REDAN Chairman, Dr Ehikioya Okoruwa, assured Wike of the association’s readiness to partner the FCTA to bridge housing deficits in the territory.

Okoruwa said that to that end, the association planned to build 15,000 houses.

He further said that REDAN would invest N262 billion in the housing sector, adding that the FCTA would gain a lot  if they supported the project.

Okoruwa  said that REDAN was working with security agencies to address land racketeering, emphasising the association’s commitment to ethical practices and accountability.

“This meeting sets the stage for a potential partnership between the FCT Administration and REDAN, but with clear terms and expectations for accountability and transparency,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Buhari Bolaji

Protest

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has cautioned traders in Apo Mechanic Village against arbitrary protests without following due process.

Wike gave the warning while responding to the traders, who besieged the entrance of the FCT Administration Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

The traders had explained that the protest was to push the minister to sign the 2015 lease agreement with the FCTA to enable them to move to their permanent site at Wassa District.

Wike, who described the action as attempted intimidation, berated the protesting traders for not writing to his office to discuss the delay in implementing the lease agreement.

The minister said that there was no basis for the protest, alleging it might have been sponsored by unknown persons.

“Is this the way you support the government by barricading the road and obstruction of traffic without informing me of anything?

“You never wrote to me that you want to see me, and we refuse to see you.

Then what you will do is to wake up in the morning, barricade the road, barricade the gate and then you are saying you are supporting me?

“Then I don’t need your support.

“What I don’t like is intimidation. If you have a problem, channel your problem to me and if I don’t solve it, then you can take another step,” the visibly furious minister said.

Wike pointed out that the lease agreement was entered into in 2015, adding that ministers have come and gone without the traders taking any step until now.

He asked the traders to go back and follow the due process to solve the problem.

“What you should do is write that you want to see me, then we will sit down and talk. I am not one of those ones anyone will come and intimidate.

“Barricading the road is what I don’t like. People coming to tarnish the image of government is not right when we can sit and dialogue.

“If the government had promised to give you land then I will look at the papers,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the traders’ association, Mr Chimezie Ife, said his members were tired of waiting since 2006 to be allocated their permanent business environment, alleging that they have spent over N100 million.

Ife explained the old Apo Mechanic Village was demolished in 2006, adding that the traders were promised a permanent location which never came.

He further said that the traders applied for land in 2011 but it was still not allocated despite the incurred expenses.

According to him, the protest was organised with the hope that Wike will help to address the lingering issue. (NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza