Reps score FCT chairmen low on security, infrastructure, education, others

The House of Representatives has expressed its dissatisfaction at the performance of chairmen of some Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), noting that the deplorable state of infrastructure, education and security across the councils call for serious concern.

The lawmakers, in an interactive session with FCT Minister of State, Mariam Mahmood, during the inaugural meeting of the House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, chaired by Fred Agbedi, said the chairpersons of the affected Area Councils had not paid attention to all the sectors under its mandate, particularly agriculture, cultural festivals, resettlement schemes, satellite town development and responsibilities as it concerns the indigenes and residents.

The House also scored the chairmen low in terms of chieftaincy development in the Area Councils, improved revenue drive, inter-house sports in schools to identify and develop talents as well as education and health development.

Chairman of the Committee, while addressing the Minister, said:

“To the Hon. Minister(s) and other critical stakeholders, I ask for your support and cooperation, for without it, running this Committee will be an uphill task.

“Like a machine, we are all components and must work together for the success of this committee and the betterment of the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils,” he added.

Some of the lawmakers on the Committee also frowned at what they said was the failure of successive FCT Ministers in the provision of requisite infrastructure across the six Area Councils.

A member, Mathew Nwogu, warned the FCT Minister and other officials against any wrongdoing going forward, saying times of doing wrong things and calling it right is over.

“FCT, to me is not Ajegunle. FCT is supposed to be a centre of attraction and if the centre is okay and the surrounding is bad, it means there’s no centre.

“And if you are going to Abuja and you go to Gwagwalada or go to Abaji or all those areas and you start asking yourself the question, is this Abuja? That means something is wrong.

“Therefore for myself and most of our colleagues here, I think moving and developing Area Councils is a mandate we must take seriously, and I think the Minister and her Perm Sec and others are ready.

“You see, anything worth doing at all is worth doing well. And I’m sure the president labels his budget of the renewed hope meaning that there’s hope.

“I’ve spent some time here in Abuja, but I don’t like going around in the evening because you don’t know what’s happening. But this city is supposed to be a city where it should be 24 24-hour city, where somebody can wake up and go wherever he wants to go.”

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