AMAC - News Agency Of Nigeria

AMAC conducts free diabetes, hypertension screening

Tosin Kolade
Sep, Sat, 2025

Health

AMAC conducts free diabetes, hypertension screening

By Philomina Attah

The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on Saturday provided free medical screening for diabetes and hypertension to residents at the Garki Village Primary Health Centre, Abuja.

Dr Anthony Orji, Chief Medical Officer, Pharma Healthcare Department, AMAC, said the exercise, sponsored by AMAC Chairman, Mr Christopher Maikalangu, was impactful and received positive feedback from patients.

He noted that free screening is part of AMAC’s efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and promote healthy living across the council’s communities.

By detecting diabetes and hypertension early, AMAC aims to reduce complications and improve the overall well-being of its citizens.

“The screening identifies people with diabetes and hypertension, offers counselling, and refers diagnosed patients to Primary Health Care Centres for treatment,” Orji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The exercise featured random and fasting blood sugar tests, blood pressure checks, and BMI measurements to assess risk factors among residents.

Orji said AMAC operates 15 centres for treating uncomplicated hypertension and five centres dedicated to diabetes care.

He emphasised the need for more health workers to manage AMAC’s growing population and urged upgrades of additional facilities into treatment centres.

“Preliminary results reveal a high prevalence of diabetes (40 per cent) and hypertension (50 per cent) among participants. Final figures will be released later,” he said.

Follow-up treatment for hypertension will be free, while diabetes treatment will receive subsidies, according to Orji.

Mrs Monica Jacob, Officer-in-Charge of the facility, praised the outreach, saying it encouraged people who rarely visit hospitals to discover hidden health problems like high blood pressure.

She added that the facility had recently benefited from an NGO outreach, which provided health talks on nutrition and pregnancy, well-received by the community.

Jacob cited irregular water and power supply as major challenges, noting that solar power does not provide 24-hour electricity.

She appealed for a generator or larger solar system.

She also called on donors and partners to continue their support, stressing that their contributions have significantly helped both the facility and the community.

Mr Emeka Mbanusi, Head of Information and Public Relations, AMAC, said the outreach reflected the Chairman’s campaign pledge to deliver healthcare services at the grassroots level.

He urged Garki residents and surrounding communities to utilise the free medical programme to monitor their health status and seek early treatment where necessary.

Mbanusi recalled that similar outreaches had been conducted in Kurudu, Jiwa, Gidan Mangoro, Apo Resettlement, Lugbe, Kar, and Kabusa communities since Maikalangu assumed office.

He assured residents that the Chairman planned to extend the programme to all 12 political wards of the council, with continued support for healthcare initiatives.

Some beneficiaries said the screening brought hope to Garki Village and urged sustained support for essential healthcare services through the facility.

Malam Abubakar Umaru, a 60-year-old retiree, thanked AMAC for the screening. After being diagnosed with high blood pressure, he stressed the importance of regular medical checks.

He appealed for monthly screenings, describing the programme as life-saving and crucial for preventing sudden deaths caused by undetected conditions. (NAN)

Edited by Remi Koleoso/ Kamal Tayo Oropo

AMAC chairman decries demolitions in Karsana community, vows legal action

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jul, Sun, 2025

Metro

AMAC chairman decries demolitions in Karsana community, vows legal action

By Philomina Attah

Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, has decried the recent demolition of property in the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Karsana Community by a developer, Oceanic Properties and Equilibrium Concept.

Maikalangu made this known on Saturday in Abuja after inspecting the extent of the demolition and its effect on the livelihoods of the residents.

He described the developer’s action as a grave injustice against the community, and vowed to seek redress for them in court.

According to the area council boss, the people of the community are legitimate indigenous Gbagyi people of the FCT, who are entitled to full compensation for the damage caused to them.

“Legal action will be pursued by the community and AMAC authorities. Official reports are being submitted to senior government officials,” he said.

Maikalangu appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike for immediate intervention to address the situation.

He also appealed to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to intervene toward their immediate resettlement, adding that many families had been rendered homeless.

“As you can see, these people are homeless. Where are they going to sleep today?” No warning, no compensation.

“If you want to relocate people who live here, first thing, compensate them. If you don’t want them here, give them another alternative.

“With the Gbagyi people, the name Karsana is important,” he said.

The council boss noted that the demolition was carried out without any prior warning, court notice, or compensation.

He vowed that no construction work would take place on the disputed site until the displaced residents were compensated and resettled.

“The developer acted outside due process and ignored community rights. If you want to relocate people first thing, compensate them. If you don’t want them here, give them another alternative.

“Get them somewhere, build houses for them, and relocate them. But you destroyed the houses, they have nowhere to sleep and you are comfortable. It’s unfair. We are all Nigerians.

“We can’t continue like this in this country. The federal government has to intervene in this case,” he said.

Mr Dikko Jezhi, the community’s Youth Secretary, recounted the trauma which the people have been subjected to due to the demolition, noting that the people have nowhere to go at the moment.

“Residents were at work when their homes were demolished with police escort. Families had no advanced notice and lost all possessions.

“Generations of indigenous families, including the elderly, are now left stranded.

“I asked my mother yesterday if she had another state aside from this, and she replied no. Even her grandfather, this was where the grandfather was born,” Jezhi said.

He added: “So we don’t know where to go. They have demolished our houses. Our properties are down.

“They have been pushing the indigenous people to the wall. We won’t react because this is our father’s land.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that critical structures, including the chief’s palace and a church, were among the buildings destroyed, leaving the community in despair. (NAN)

Edited by Mark Longyen

How Wike’s road project promotes socio-economic activities in FCT community

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jan, Mon, 2025

Metro

How Wike’s road project promotes socio-economic activities in FCT community

By Philip Yatai

Residents of Saburi I and II communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council, have described the recently constructed road in the community initiated by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a “game changer.”

Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, that the road project had significantly improved socio-economic activities in the area.

NAN correspondent alongside other members of the Ministers’ Press Corps, visited the community to assess the impact of road projects on FCT communities.

NAN recalled that Wike had on Jan. 21, 2024, inaugurated the construction of a 5-kilometre access road, connecting Saburi 1 and 11 and Dei Dei International Market.

The minister had said that the road, from Murtala Mohammed Expressway to Dei DeI International Market, was designed to ease the suffering of the people, particularly during the wet season.

The residents told NAN that the road had improved their businesses and triggered enormous socio-economic activities and other developmental strides in the area.

One of the residents, Mr Emmanuel Ogboh, a shop owner, said that businesses in the community had improved owing to the increased vehicular movement since the construction of the road.

The visibly excited Ogboh thanked Wike for extending his developmental agenda to Saburi community.

Also, Mrs Justina Ocheche, who sells beans cake, popularly known as Akara, said that her business had improved since the completion of the road.

Ocheche said that when the road was not completed her akara business suffered due to heavy dust particularly during the dry season and mud during the raining season.

“However, since Wike happened, there is no more dust or mud; people are now moving freely and we are experiencing significant patronage.

“God will bless Wike and his generation yet unborn because of what he did for us in Saburi and Dei Dei,” She said.

The akara seller, however, called on the FTC administration to tackle the epileptic electricity and portable water supply in the community.

“Sometimes this community stays two weeks without water supply due to epileptic power supply,”she decried.

Village Head of Saburi, Alhaji Muhammad Yamawo

A furniture maker, Mr Nicholas Emmanuel, said that the dust that before now emanated from the road had affected furniture business in the community.

He explained that furniture made of fabrics accumulates dust, making it unattractive to prospective buyers.

He added that residents were always putting on nose masks to protect them from the dust and prevent catarrh.

“Now the dust is over and so is our catarrh.

“We thank God that the minister remembered us in Saburi and we pray that God will keep him to continue the good work he has started,”he prayed.

For Mr Akin Akinwande, a car wash owner in the community, said that the road network was a game changer for his business.

“Before now, you barely see 20 cars pass through this community in a day, but now more than 100 ply this road daily.

“This is good for our businesses and we thank Wike and President Bola Tinubu for this gesture,” he said.

Mr Emeka Oduma, a truck driver, said “I am very impressed with what Wike did for us in this village; I am happy and everybody is happy that our minister is doing a good job.

“I have been in Saburi 1 for close to 10 years and the road was in terrible state, but thank God for Wike who is setting a good example for others to follow,”he said.

Describing Wike as a “good man” , Oduma urged the minister to continue with the good works by opening more roads in rural communities of the FCT.

The Village Head of Saburi, Alhaji Muhammad Yamawo, who could not hide his joy, described the road project as its “new bride.”

“This road is like someone who has never gotten married and when he finally does, he feels like the whole world belongs to him.

“We have suffered a lot due to the absence of a good road in Saburi, but we are happy that Wike has finally wiped our tears,” he said.

The village head also commended the minister for the ongoing construction of a Police Station and a hospital in the community.

NAN reports that the 5-kilometre Saburi to Dei Dei road is among several road projects awarded by the Wike-led FCT Administration in rural communities across the six area councils of the territory. (NAN)

Edited by Polycarp Auta