Group berates FCTA over inability to sustain existing polices

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has again been berated over its inability to sustain existing policies targeted on putting the Nigerian capital city in the world map among world most developed cities.

The Abuja based groups under the aegis of Environmental Impact Initiative and Worthy Lives Advocate while assessing the ability of the preset administration of the FCT, noted that the city which formerly was proclaimed the fastest developing city in the continent of Africa, has lost its leading position, owing to gross administrative negligence.

In a separate interview with The Abuja Times, the groups asserted that the city lacks capable Administrators to steer the boat.

Sighting examples of earlier beautiful developmental initiatives which had died on arrival, our correspondent was made to understand that several administrators has failed to consolidate on their predecessor’s initiatives for an enduring development irrespective of religion or political affiliation.

Speaking first to The Abuja Times, the Programme Director of Environmental Impact Initiative, Mr. Victor Alimu, stated that what has kept the FCT below the targeted developmental rating despite huge financial budgetary allocation was due obsessed administrative somersault that has resulted to huge circumvention of formalities and issues, with reference to situation presently.

His words: “Can I tell you something; there is something wrong in the way and manner Nigerians go about administration. The point is that Nigerians attach political affiliation and religion to everything. As I speak, there are so many policies that the past administration put in place that this present one has not jettisoned just because the predecessor was of another political background.

In this case, I would like to take you back in the days of el-Rufai and President Olusegun Obasanjo, who implemented the Constitutional provision of Abuja being treated like a state and its administration having the structure of a state. This, however, gave birth to the creation of secretariats and was headed by mandate secretaries with the statues of State Commissioners”.

Alimu stated that such ideas presently is suffering a setback with a total move to juggle the process and return the FCT to the status of an ordinary Ministry and not a status of a state. This, however, indicates, according to him, a whole lot of administrative or system change in its entirety.

He said: “Other issues like the first example is the sudden of promotion of few Deputy Directors to full Directors and to head departments without due procedure. This process also saw few Directors being removed as heads of departments before their retirement age making such Directors earning salaries without defined portfolios”.

Also expressing displeasure over the debt of misdemeanor in the FCT, the Programme Coordinator of Worthy Lives Advocate, Barrister Mike Nestor Ahamefuna, brought to bear the unsuccessful policies in the FCT, sighting cases like that of the ban on the commercial cyclists, popularly called Okada, which has failed as the practice remained unabated within the FCT city centre and its suburbs.

Barrister Ahamefuna also pointed out the unusual and unstable environmental law of vehicle pack and pay that failed to see the light of the day owing to internal sabotage by few gullible individuals within the workforce.

He also observed that the present administration, after its campaign on ‘clean Abuja project on assumption of duty, left the FCT residents gasping in confession as refuse dumps sites are seen covering half of the major high ways and FCT road network since the exercise was inaugurated without proper policy to pilot its affairs.

He also fingered the unprofessional way of arresting and intimidating of hawkers along Abuja streets with no enabling law by the National Assembly.

The legal practitioner also could not mince words in condemning the modus operandi of the Environmental task force who extort money from the cyclists and free them to come back tomorrow to continue operation.

“Go to AYA and Gudu near Apo and Area 1, you will be surprised at the rate these banned commercial cyclists operate their business without the fear of anyone”.

While proffering solutions, the groups agreed that the present administration of Muhammad Musa Bello would disabuse his mind of political affiliation or alienation and would sort the files of his predecessors or would elicit proper developmental advises from Nigerians of professional inclination in environmental built industry to enable Abuja once again belong to the world’s leading cities.