By Angela Atabo

An NGO, ActionAid Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government and Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide amenities for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at Durumi in the FCT.

Country Director of ActionAid, Ene Obi ,made the call at a news briefing at the camp on Monday in Abuja.

The director, who went round the camp to observe the impact of the demolition exercise by the FCTA described it as “unfortunate”.

She said: “The demolition was unexpected and had resulted in shock and trauma for the IDPs.

” Nearly 70 per cent of the IDPs are women, children and elderly persons. They are now suffering from the impact of the demolition.

“This is surprising, because, the camp had the recognition and support of the Federal Government, it’s officials, INGO, FCTA and other organisations and individuals.”

Obi said the various authorities had supported and built infrastructure in the camp such as a health facility, primary school, a block of toilets and boreholes among others.

The country director further said that the camp had over 3000 individuals from 330 households.

She said: “If the Federal Government recognised the IDP camp, then it is pertinent to ask what changed their stance, leading to its demolition just few days before the Christmas?” Obi asked.

According to Obi, the leadership of the camp, in collaboration with the different security agencies had helped to checkmate criminal activities within its vicinities.

She said her interaction with the IDPs indicated that the demolition took place without any form of notice to the IDP or option of relocation or resettlement.

“Some weeks ago, the Federal Commissioner in charge of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, visited the camp,” she said.

Obi stated that they had then discussed with the IDPs on the possible relocation, but did not fix time before the demolition exercise took place.

According to her, the IDPs cannot currently go back to their various homes as some of them are still under attack by the insurgents.

Obi said: “Women and children are currently sleeping in open places without mats or blankets.

“Starvation and hunger now prevail in the camp, due to loss of their stored foodstuffs and cooking utensils, because of the unexpected demolition.

“Different families have to take turns in using one pot to cook.

“There is an urgent need for psychosocial and health support for traumatised IDPs whose belongings are now exposed to theft.

Obi further said that ActionAid was deeply concerned by the plight of the IDPs and as always, would stand in solidarity with them.

“Today, we will be providing these IDPs with food, non food items and dignity kits.

“We are also appealing to donor and corporate organisations to support the IDPs to be self sustaining through the provision of economic empowerment.

“We, hereby reiterate that the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and FCTA should consider as a matter of urgency the establishment of an organised camp to resettle the IDPs.

“They should also support them with the construction of shelter and basic infrastructure like school, health centre, toilets and water facilities.

Also speaking , the Chairman of the camp, Mr Ibrahim Ahmadu called on the Federal Government and FCTA to dialogue with the leadership of the camp to fashion out a way of addressing all the issues raised by the authorities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ActionAid Nigeria distributed relief items to the women including N10,000 each to over 100 women in the camp. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Collins Yakubu-Hammer/Bashir Rabe Mani

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu has donated delivery kits and baby items to 120 mothers of newborn babies in selected Primary Health Care Centres across the six Area Councils of the territory.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PHC facilities included those in Aleyita, in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Dutse Alhaji in Bwari and Township Clinic in Gwagwalada Area Council.

Others were those in Township Clinic, in Kwali Area Council, Kuje Comprehensive Health Centre in Kuje Area Council and Township Clinic in Abaji Area Council.

Similarly, the minister gave a token of an undisclosed amount of cash to some nursing mothers.

Presenting the items to the beneficiaries at Kuje Comprehensive Healthcare Centre, Aliyu described the successful delivery recorded in various primary healthcare centres as a bundle of joy.

She prayed that joy would continue to radiate in the Federal Capital Territory in 2023 and beyond.

Represented by the Director of Administration and Finance, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Mrs Justina Pawa, Aliyu tasked mothers on early training of their children, saying that children were invaluable divine gifts from God.

She called on mothers to accept all vaccines being given during government approved immunisation campaigns.

The minister enjoined mothers to ensure that their babies completed the routine immunisation before the age of two.

She also emphasised the need for them to take care of themselves, attend post natal clinics and continue to take their routine medicines.

She said: ”On my part, I will continue to identify with you and share in your joy. Since I came to office in 2019, I have continued to implement and support a myriad of initiatives.

”They are aimed at improving the health of mothers and children particularly towards reducing maternal and child deaths from preventable causes.”

The minister revealed that she had empowered many women to contribute meaningfully to the upkeep of themselves and their families.

“I will also encourage you to always contribute to the growth of the family in particular and community at large.

” All babies born today are welcome and I pray to God to continue to grant mothers and babies good health, while the fathers continue to have the means to support their families,” Aliyu stated.

Earlier, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ibrahim Kudirat, who delivered a baby boy at 12:01am on Sunday in Kuje Comprehensive Health Centre thanked the minister for the kind gesture.

She said that the items and cash donation would assist mothers at this early stage of delivery.

Other beneficiaries were: Mrs Mary Olayinka, who delivered at 12:40am, at the Dutse Makaranta primary healthcare centre in Bwari Area Council, while Mrs. Idoko Christina, delivered a baby girl at 1:52am, amongst other deliveries.

NAN reports that the high point of the event was the presentation of food items to FCT Minister of State by the community Head of Aleyita in appreciation of her efforts in boosting community health. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, called on the residents of the territory to participate in the 2023 General Elections in peace, unity and togetherness.

Bello, who made the call in his new year message to the residents on Sunday in Abuja, also enjoined them to resist any attempt to cause disharmony and disaffection within their ranks.

The minister stated that elections in the FCT had always been peaceful, ” Let us ensure that the upcoming 2023 polls also reflect this.

” On behalf of the FCT Administration, it is my honour and immense pleasure to wish all residents of the Federal Capital Territory a very happy and prosperous New Year.

” As we begin our journey into 2023, which holds a very important place in the democratic development of our country, I wish to applaud residents of the territory for your exemplary conduct in our collective quest of building a befitting capital territory for our country.”

He also lauded the residents for holding true to the principles of unity and peaceful co-existence which is the foundation on which the FCT is grounded.

” In my 2022 New Year message, I enjoined residents of the territory to participate actively in the Area Council elections. I once more commend you all for abiding by the democratic and lawful processes in the election of the council chairmen.

” Once again, I call on all of us, in the same spirit of peace, unity and togetherness, to participate in the 2023 general elections coming up next month.”

Bello said that the residents were obliged to live up to the ideals of the founding fathers of the territory as a place where every Nigerian could call home.

” We must therefore, collectively resist any attempt to cause disharmony and disaffection within our ranks. Elections in the FCT have always been peaceful. Let us ensure that the upcoming 2023 polls also reflect this.

” In the preceding year, the FCT Administration consolidated on its efforts of providing world class infrastructure for the territory with efforts to complete on-going projects and investing heavily in the maintenance and upgrading of existing ones.

” It is to our credit that despite the heavy rainfalls and attendant floods that devastated several parts of the country, we were largely spared this misfortune. This is because, having learnt from our experiences in the past, adequate measures were taken to prevent any such re-occurrence.”

Bello, who appreciated the residents for their understanding despite the discomforts they must have endured in the course of remedial measures, called for their continuous support and cooperation.

The minister solicited the cooperation and support of the residents in the task of removing illegal structures and settlements within the city both for security purposes and maintaining the sanctity of the Abuja Masterplan.

” It must be understood that these corrective measures are absolutely essential if truly our city is to evolve into one of the most aesthetically pleasing and functional cities in the world.

” The presence of illegal settlements and shanties will only draw us further away from attaining this goal.

” Fellow residents, we are confronted daily with the unwholesome and unpatriotic activities of vandals who wantonly destroy or steal public infrastructure installed by government at great cost.

” Replacing or repairing these critical infrastructure cost a lot of money which otherwise would have been invested in other equally essential projects.”

Bello, therefore, enjoined residents to treat critical public infrastructure as they would treat their personal property and help to protect all public assets located within their vicinity.

He commended the security agencies in the FCT for their tremendous work in ensuring the safety of lives and property within the territory as the incidences of violent crimes had declined over the past few months.

” Some of these gallant men and women who have seen to this possibility have even paid the ultimate price in the course of discharging their responsibilities.

” I wish to reassure them of the continuous support of the Administration as demonstrated with the provision of 60 high-capacity vehicles in addition to accompanying security and communication equipment last year.

” We will continue to support them in every way possible and also enjoin the citizenry to cooperate with our law enforcement agencies whenever the need arises.”

He reminded the residents that the maintenance of security was the responsibility of all and reiterated the mantra of ‘saying something when you see something’.

Bello said that the FCT Administration was committed to sustaining the growth and development of the territory despite the challenges of dwindling financial resources and the ever increasing population.

According to him, the administration is evolving new strategies to meet its financial obligations in line with growing demands.

” The creation of the Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public Private Partnership Secretariat and the upscaling of the functions of the FCT IRS are but two of the measures taken to shore up our revenue base to meet our needs.

” Residents are therefore enjoined to also play their part by being up to date in the payment of their taxes to enable us to continue to serve you better.

” Fellow residents, I wish to assure you that over the next five months heralding the end of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the FCT Administration will not relent in its efforts of ensuring the development of the territory and the well-being of its residents.

” I once more wish you all a happy and prosperous 2023.” (NAN)

Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has lauded the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) contributions in infrastructural development through it resources and Corporate Social Responsibility to reduce infrastructure deficit in the country.

In a statement by Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, Media Assistant to the minister, Rotimi said that CCECC assistance through funding of infrastructure in the country had led to the giant developmental stride in Nigeria, adding that the company is part of the rail success story.

“I must commend the CCECC they’re doing good work and I’m grateful that we’re able to get a European firm to supervise them. Both of them are doing wonderful job and occasionally we have disagreement, it is to be expected with such large project.

“There are few occasions where we have the issue of quality where the consulting engineer says ‘I don’t agree’ and the company does not want to change. I will go at them and say ‘you must, because this is the man we will hold responsible so you must obey him’ and they obey and have been cooperating to provide Nigerians with good quality infrastructure.

“Occasionally it may cost us more like the issue of signaling but we’re on track and we insist on quality. I tell people that when there’s a railway accident, it’s not just three or four people that die. If you’re not careful, it will be in hundreds. So, you must construct to the point where you avoid derailment according to global standard.

Amaechi said that the Europeans and Americans have contributed their quota to the infrastructure development of the country, adding that it was also a commendable effort on their parts.

He, however, said that the Chinese model was more appropriate to Nigeria because it directly funds infrastructural projects.
“That is why every Chinese loan is tied to a project. The Chinese would say ‘Ok, I have $10billion for you but you have to show me the project and give the contract to a Chinese firm.

“As much as I criticize CCECC from time to time whenever I work with them, we must also show some level of gratitude, to them, for delivering constant value and going the extra mile to impact the lives of Nigerians through their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes.

“For instance, the Kajola project is not part of their contract; they’re looking at the future. They’re looking at sustainability of the railway modernization programme by building the plant that would manufacture the rolling stock and coaches to feed the programme so the country don’t have to rely on imports.

“If they want to manufacture wagons from here it means they must be getting orders from Nigeria. No problem at all they can even own it. For me, what is critical is the employment it creates that’s why I ask for them to localize the technology.

“The second part is to thank them for the Transport University in Daura, which they have agreed to build.

“Now what does the university do? It localizes the technology, it teaches Nigerian students how they can construct their own rails and how they can build their own locomotives and coaches.

“We’re grateful because it’s not part of their contract. They can say ‘my contract is XYZ and my profit is XYZ where do you want me to get that money’ but what they have done is to be able to share part of their profits with Nigeria which set the CCECC apart.

“The Transport University is going to be built entirely for free by the CCECC.”

By Perpetua Onuegbu
The Federal Government on Thursday handed over a two kilometre road it constructed to the Federal Polytechnic (FedPoly), Nasarawa, Nasarawa State.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola on behalf of the Federal Government did the handing over to the management of the school.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the road construction is part of the 43 road intervention embarked upon by the Federal Government within tertiary institutions across the country.

Fashola, represented by the Federal Controller of Works, Nasarawa State, Mr Isaac Daikwo, said the gap of the nation’s infrastructural needs was steadily been bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and schools.

“While it is true that a lot of work needs to be done in many sectors of our national life, including education, the Buhari government has stepped up to lead the process of getting it done.

“Currently, there are 43 road interventions, and students are expressing renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes, because some defective roads have been restored to good condition.

“To date, 29 of the road intervention projects have been completed with 17 already handed over in 2020.

“Today we hand over this one to Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa in Nasarawa State as a critical intervention to support education,” Fashola said.

Responding, the Rector of the institution Mr Abdullahi Ahmed commended the Federal Government for the intervention noting that construction of roads and drainages had remained a major constraint to the school over the years.

“Our situation here in Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa was so compounded because we are located in a flood-prone area, where most of our lecture rooms, workshops and laboratories are difficult to access during the rainy season.

“This road project will not only make our lecture halls, workshops and laboratories accessible but will also safeguard the massive investment of government which would have been affected by gully erosion due to lack of roads and drainages,” Ahmed said.

He noted that the institution had no statutory avenue of funding to fund road projects except for such interventions from the government.

He said that Tetfund was doing much in the provision of infrastructure but there were limitations to what it could do.

He assured the minister that the school community would ensure effective maintenance of the road while appealling for more interventions.

In the same vein, the polytechnic’s Registrar, Alhaji Munir Ahmad in his remarks appreciated the Federal Government for the intervention and appealed for more to be done for the institution.

According to him, the road intervention is the first of its kind since the establishment of the polytechnic in 1983.

He said that the school would be happy if such intervention was carried out on another of the major entrances of the institution.

He added said the school had a land mass of over 2,000 hectares and having more network of roads would do much good to the academic community.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Mr Adams Jamilu, the Students’ Union President, was full of praises for the government.

“Before the road was constructed, the licensed motor bikes and vehicles that took students to school often break down due to gullies and potholes.

“This caused many students to be late for lectures and some even had accidents that prevented them from attending classes,” Jamilu said.

He said with the construction of the road, students now found it easier to go to classes and that when the rainy season begins,the sufferings due to bad road would be a thing of the past.

By Perpetua Onuegbu
Stakeholders from the public and private sectors have come together in Abuja to validate Nigeria’s 10 years Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG’s) plan to achieve the global goals of action in the country.

The Head of Communications, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goal’s (OSSAP-SDGs), Mrs Janet McDickson, made this known to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

McDickson said this came about as the global community accelerates efforts to achieve the global goals in the decade of action for the SDGs.

She said stakeholders have validated a strategic implementation plan for the attainment of the development agenda in Nigeria.

According to her, the document: ‘Nigeria Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Plan (2020-2030) was unanimously endorsed by over 300 participants drawn from the civil society, public and private sectors.

The document was endorsed at the physical/virtual validation workshop hosted by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Head communications said document laid out elaborate plans for Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Financing, Advocacy, and Sensitisation for the SDGs in the next 10 years.

In the statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said it was important to develop a strategic implementation Plan for the SDGs as Nigeria joined in the decade of action.

“Particularly as the country is developing a successor plan to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

“As Nigeria developed a successor development plan to the ERGP in 2020, the mainstreaming of the SDGs into the medium and long-term development plans is imperative.

“The SDGs are being mainstreamed and integrated into the various thematic areas of the Plan. Consequently, SDGs’ implementation and its monitoring shall hinge on the Plan processes.

“In this ‘Decade of Action’ for the Global Goals, Nigeria will adopt ‘holistic cum heuristic’ approaches and will continue to utilise national development planning as the primary instrument to drive SDGs implementation,” she stated.

The presidential aide added that the Nigerian government had demonstrated strong commitment in the overall implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

She added that institutional frameworks have been established at the national and sub-national levels to support effective implementation of the global goals.

Adefulire reiterated that the SDGs could not be achieved with stand-alone policies and programmes/projects and therefore, the goals must be deliberately integrated into national and subnational policies and development plans.

“While modest progress has been achieved during the first phase (2016-2020), dwindling financial resources; lack of capacity at the subnational level; persistent insecurity across the country; and COVID-19 pandemic have all combined to slowdown progress towards the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria.”

The presidential aide further noted that during the ‘Decade of Action’, there was urgent need to build back better from COVID-19 setbacks and fast-track the achievement of the SDGs and the implementation plan would help to achieve this.

“This National SDGs Implementation Plan offers a coherent roadmap for Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) for the SDGs.

“Mainstreaming the SDGs into the national and subnational development plans is a necessary pre-requisite for effective implementation.

“Effective Integration of the SDGs into sectoral policies and plans requires smart and innovative approaches of identifying ‘influencers’ and ‘accelerators’ among the SDGs.

“The interconnectedness and inter-linkages of the SDGs provide opportunities for synergies and trade-offs to achieve better outcomes,” she added.

Adefulire emphasised the need to continually seek creative and innovative financing mechanisms through which public and private resources could be mobilised to support accelerated implementation of SDGs in Nigeria.

“Indeed, to achieve the transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda – ‘Leave no one behind’, we need the expertise and financial resources of all – public and private sector; scientific community; donor community and the wider civil society,” Adefulire stated.

By Lucy Ogalue
The Federal Government has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mota-Engil Group on the construction of 1.959billion dollars Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in a statement by Eric Ojiekwe, Director Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, said the project was aimed at linking the whole country by rail.

Amaechi signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal Government while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.

According to the Minister, the new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger Republic territory as far as Maradi.

He said other cities such as Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya would also be affected by the rail line in Nigeria.

The minister said the 283.750 kilometre rail line would help develope freight and passenger transport as it would be integrated with road transport.

He added that it would contribute greatly to the local economy as well as the nation’s social sector.

According to Amaechi, the duration for the project is 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Ministry’s Permanent, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh, the Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea and Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley.

It was also witnessed by Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada, Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim, Vice President, Mota-Engil Group, Mohammed Abdul-Razaq, among others.

He added that the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tuggar and the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman among other diginitaries also witnessed the signing.

By Lucy Ogalue
Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said that the inauguration of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line has been put on hold due to the upsurge of COVID-19 in the country.

Amaechi, who disclosed this in Abuja, said that over 60 staff on project site have been infected by Covid19 while trying to complete the project.

“First let us admit that over 60 of our staff, not ministry of transport staff, but the staff working on the rail project have been infected by COVID-19. Luckily nobody has died and I pray nobody will die, but you see the kind of sacrifice everybody is making to get the rail to function.

“They are people sacrificing their lives to get to that point, we are of the view when we made that decision that Nigeria will not say 2020 was a bad year, so remove one year and add another year to Buhari administration.

“As far as we are concern, we need to learn how to leave with COVID-19, I really want to congratulate those that achieve that feat, we were to inaugurate first week in January. We had to stop those doing minor completion because of the rise in COVID-19 transmission.

“The timeline for inauguration will depend on COVID-19. If COVID-19 stop today or reduces we will commission the project.”

Amaechi further stated that the train services on all route might stop if passengers do not adhere to COVID-19 protocol.

“We will allow the train to run but if we see that we are conveying passengers who have Covid from Lagos to Ibadan, we will stop it. Just like we are threatening to stop Kaduna-Abuja if people don’t comply with the COVID-19 Protocol.”

He said that the Abuja-Kaduna route convey about 4,000 passengers daily, stating that if anyone transmit COVID-19 onboard it would be a serious challenge.