As the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a position he took-over on the 11th of November, 2015, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello has proven, beyond doubt, to be a vanguard for President Muhammadu Buhari’s Change Agenda.
Since inception, he has excelled in his job which includes but not limited to completion of on-going or abandoned critical infrastructural projects that positively impact on the life and economy of the city, zero tolerance to corruption, security of life and property, respect for extant rules and general improvement in services.
Abuja used to be littered with abandoned projects made up of highways, byways and other social amenities as a result of incomplete works or absence of finishing touches. Many connecting arterials were incomplete, including ramps, pedestrian bridges, tangent roads, loops and interchanges. Today, most of these projects have been completed. Having succeeded greatly in this direction within two years, Bello is shifting focus to the satellite towns and area councils where many rural infrastructural facilities as well as urban renewal projects are aggressively being pursued.
For instance, the Inner Southern Express Way Bridge has been opened for public use, connecting AYA, Apo Roundabout, the Murtala Muhammed Way and Aso drive. This has made it easy for motorists to access Abuja’s main business district. The contract has been awarded for the Villa Roundabout Bridge project, a major component of the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX). Also the B6 and B12 Roads otherwise known as Constitution and Independence Avenues are ongoing. The roads which traverse the World Trade Centre and the Diplomatic Zones hold the key to the economic and social vibrancy of the FCT and it is hoped that completion of the roads will enable land owners develop their plots and bring out the skyline of the city centre.
Motorists coming from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport can now travel in dual mode straight through the Churchgate building without the detour which used to make driving clumsy. Works on the roads were very skeletal since 2011 because of paltry budgetary provisions. But recently the administration cleared a backlog of payments owed the company handling the project. The 15km Apo Karshi Road awarded by the former administration but abandoned has been revisited to aid commuters from Mararaba, Nyanya and Karu axis.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of N2.6bn for massive construction of road infrastructure within the satellite town of Karu Phase 2, Abuja, a project expected to open up the area for the development of affordable housing for low income earners, boost economic activities, create jobs and ensure slum upgrade. The Kuje-Gwagwalada road project, Katampe District, Phase 2 projects are also ongoing.
Documents obtained from the media department of the FCTA showed that the transparency followed all the awarded contracts. It showed that the sum of N57.6 billion have been paid to contractors handling various projects in the Federal Capital Territory in the areas of infrastructure, water provision and railway construction as well as health, education and environmental sanitation services. 627 indigenous contractors owed N100 million and below, with matured bills and for which provisions were made in the statutory budget were paid the sum of N6.9b in the last quarter of 2016.  Another N3.3b billion was paid to 403 other contractors with similar bills in the first quarter of 2017. The sum of N7.009 billion was released to contractors handling the Abuja Light Rail project.
From the last quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, the number of liabilities came down to less than 50 per cent. Pensioners’ outstanding arrears have been paid up-to-date with the release of N2.3 billion. The sum of N2.4 billion of its obligation to on-going counterpart projects has been offset, while the school feeding programme has been re-invigorated with the sum of N980 million. Funding for these payments was mobilized through transparent, diligent and judicious management of funds without leakages in the system.
It is good news that Abuja residents will soon begin to ride light train, a project that has reached 98 percent completion. This will relieve public transportation within the city. The Muhammad Bello administration met the project packages at below 70 and 50 percent respectively, but drove the projects to 98 percent completion. Further investigations showed that the Federal Executive Council has also given approval of the contract for award of Phase 2 of Abuja Rail Mass Transit (Lot 1B), provision of engineering infrastructure to Jahi District, award for the construction of the Right-Hand Service Carriageway of Outer Northern Expressway, among others.
Furthermore, there is no gainsaying the fact that street lighting has improved within the city with all the challenges inherited. The FCTA achieved this feat with the procurement of over 25 standby generating sets as backup power source. Additionally, the detailing of security guards to these installations to avert vandalization is a good option.
On land administration, there has been tremendous progress. Over 1000 copies of Certificates of Occupancy (Cs of O) have been cleared. Similarly, the operations of all FCTA departments central to the land administration have been reorganized and harmonized while the FCT Land Use and Allocation Committee has been reconstituted in line with the provision of the Land Use Act. It has streamlined various cases of multiple layouts, revoked titles on wrongfully allocated Green Areas while machinery has been set in motion to calm the anxieties of beneficiaries of approved mass housing projects by giving them bankable personal titles.
In the housing sector, the Bello-led FCTA has commissioned over 300 housing units in Capital Estate in Kaba District along Kubwa Express Road. The project was executed by Abuja Property Development Company Ltd. (APDC). It is for low income earners such that with as low as 6, 12 or 16 Million Naira, young, middle or higher level officers could subscribe to houses that fit their income after an initial modest down-payment. And beyond the commissioning of the already completed houses, the administration has broken new grounds for the second and third phases of this estate development initiative.  The APDC has employed over 700 construction professionals and artisans for the projects.
The administration is reviving selected rural settlements. The indigenous settlements include Jikwoyi, Dutse-Alhaji, Gwagwalada and some Kuje communities. It submitted proposals which were acceptable to African Development (ADB) and UN-Habitat. Under the arrangement, FCT is shopping for a $300 million syndicated loan by both institutions at an interest rate of between 1 to 1.5 percent. The facility would be channelled to address the dearth of modern infrastructure to benefit over one million people.
A man with human feelings, Bello came into office when staff of the FCT Area Councils were protesting months of unpaid salaries by the immediate past Area Council administrations. However, though salaries and wages of area councils are not the responsibility of the FCT administration, the minister intervened by releasing the sum of N1.9 billion as bailout to the councils to settle these arrears of salaries. The administration commissioned a fleet of 25 buses for staff transportation with a view to cushioning the effect of recession on its staff. The administration has sustained prompt payment of salaries and allowances as well as stepped up trainings and capacity building with promotion exercise timely conducted.
To ensure adequate water supply for FCT residents, the FCTA look on to the Chinese NEXIM Bank for a $450 million loan for the extension of water supply to areas like Lugbe and neighbouring communities. Contractors handling various projects for FCT Water Board have returned to work following recent payments of outstanding liabilities owed them by the former FCT administrations. The board realized over N1.5 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2016 alone. Achievements of the Board include introduction of payment metering system and the completion of 1.2MW solar power project in collaboration with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a project that has reduced the cost of energy needed to power the water treatments plants.
Huge emphasis is being placed on environmental sanitation. The FCT minister launched the FCT Household and Community Sanitation Exercise Scheme in the area councils and satellite towns to effectively mobilize the communities to keep their surroundings clean. The administration also undertook drastic measures to recover huge debt owed Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and to ensure they carried out their statutory duties in a more proactive manner.  Out of the nearly N9 billion owed the agency, the administration has been able to recover more than N2 billion from a recovery rate that was less than N100 million before. The result is that refuse contractors are timely paid.
On beautification of Abuja, a boulevard of flowers and ornamental trees describes the future of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua (Airport) Expressway when the plan of the FCTA will come to fruition. The FCT minister ordered the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council to transform the highway into a modern driveway in line with what obtains in other great cities of the world. National monuments are to be added to the highway including a new city-gate which will be located a couple of kilometres off the Bill Clinton Bridge.
It will be recalled that the FCTA, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President organized a Nationwide MSME Clinic pursuant to the current administration’s commitment to facilitate the rapid growth of the sector in the FCT and the country at large. MSME generates 48 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs about 33 million of the nation’s workforce. FCTA has provided credit facilities ranging from N70, 000 to N2 Million to budding entrepreneurs as well as offered services such as business advisory, capacity building, assistance and workspaces among others with the target to create 10,000 jobs by 2020, thereby reducing unemployment at the rate of 11.8 percent as well as extreme poverty in the city.
Again, the administration through the Abuja Enterprise Agency has affectively keyed into the federal government’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF) under which it has accessed its own allotment of N2 billion being disbursed to successful applicants. Under the fund, the FCTA has established 2150 different enterprises and promoted 250 cooperative societies resulting into empowerment of more than 4500 residents. Also, the administration is properly utilizing its schemes such as “One Village One Product” (OVOP) and “Youth Mobile”, to reach out to the youths and women.
Minister Muhammad Bello has the political will to do more for the FCT. Recently, he swore in his mandate secretaries who are equivalent to state commissioners. This move heralded the commencement of the next phase of his administration’s developmental initiative. Areas of future focus would be massive investments in infrastructure in the satellite towns and rural areas, in education, in health and in making Abuja a smart city.
The appointees have been tutored on the direction and priorities of the administration, as well as the public service rules and government procurement guidelines, in line with the Federal government’s zero tolerance for corruption.
Bello has done excellently in FCTA, a clear indication of his ability to handle a state government or a higher federal position in Nigeria. I am sure that President Buhari has recognized this selfless, dedicated and God-fearing patriot whose service should be prolonged in the FCT administration and beyond.

Ajah, an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance can be reached on: mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk. [myad]

It was always predictable that, given his notoriety on that score, it was a matter of time for former President Olusegun Obasanjo to resume his pastime of undermining his military and civilian successors, by making President Muhammadu Buhari his latest victim. Amusingly, the rabble Obasanjo rouses on such occasions has dignified his deplorable tactics as a sort of distinction. If only they could critically dissect the man. There is this latent personality complex of striving never to be outshone or exceeded by any Nigerian living or dead. Hence, at the slightest prospect of being threatened, Obasanjo comes charging.

Obasanjo’s dismissal of Buhari’s performance is a vivid example. On the alert that African Union was to honour the Nigerian President as the Champion of Anti-Corruption in Africa the following day, Obasanjo came out with his diatribe in the mistaken belief that the great honour for Buhari and, indeed, Nigeria would be diminished if not rubbished by his comments. Unfortunately for him, African Union sustained its honour on Nigeria, much to the credit Muhammadu Buhari as the President under whose tenure Nigeria became rebranded, to the envy of Obasanjo. Every timing and content of Obasanjo’s verbal assault on his military and civilian successors is noteworthy for exposing Obasanjo’s self-exaggeration and case study in hypocrisy. He is on record in some of his books as rating himself above every Nigerian (civilian or military), who ever served at high level  – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano, Waziri Ibrahim, General Yakubu Gowon, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, General Alani Akinrinade, General Alabi Isama, General Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), General Sani Abacha (as military rulers), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, President Umaru Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan and, now, President Buhari. General Abdulsalami Abubakar escaped Obasanjo’s bad tongue only because he released him (Obasanjo) from jail and heeded northern Generals who imposed Obasanjo on Nigeria as an elected President. Obasanjo kept off IBB since the day the former military President, in a rejoinder to Obasanjo, openly served him notice that “Henceforth, it will be fire for fire.” Obasanjo got the coded message.

Very disturbingly and unknown to Nigerians is the fact that, contrary to the impression that Obasanjo, in his criticisms, is motivated by public service or altruism, he goes to town specifically when he fails to run the show from outside for an incumbent head of government or get appointments for his cronies. Former President Jonathan conceded, almost virtual running of his government to Obasanjo up to the time a memo written by Obasanjo recommending removal of six appointees from federal boards, to be replaced by six of his cronies, got leaked to Nigerian Tribune newspaper. Obasanjo initially denied authorship of the memo. Somehow, Nigeria Police foolishly arraigned Nigeria Tribune and its reporter for alleged sedition. Nigerian Tribune then had to republish the memo with Obasanjo’s full signature. That was the end of the matter, as the police had to withdraw the charges till today.

In the current anti-Buhari misadventure by Obasanjo, how many Nigerians took notice that, amid the euphoria on Buhari’s victory, Obasanjo, in his arrogance of Mr. Know All, dispatched two volumes of policies President Buhari must implement during his current tenure? Who was elected President of Nigeria in 2015? Buhari or Obasanjo? Obasanjo’s major weakness of feeling superior to everybody is the cause of his running down contemporaries. Apparently, Buhari kept Obasanjo’s policies in the shelf, a derision, which embittered Obasanjo. Hence his frustration. “I said it from the beginning that Buhari is not strong on economy.” Who then displays his Ph.D in Economics? Obasanjo. Here was a man, so arrogant and power-drunk that he openly dismissed the advisers he had just sworn in that as much as they might advise, he, President Obasanjo, was not bound to take their advice. The same man imposing total policy directive on a President yet to be sworn in.

The same deplorable tactics by Obasanjo did not work on late President Yar’Adua, not the least because he rejected Obasanjo’s attempt to run the government for him, but he also cancelled Obasanjo’s hurried investment of a whopping half a billion dollars in African Finance Corporation a fortnight before handing over to Yar’Adua. That investment was without the approval of the National Assembly. The late President Yar’Adua also queried an expenditure of $16 billion by Obasanjo’s administration purportedly on power supply with, according to Yar’Adua, “…nothing to show for it.” It is a question of character and hypocrisy. Who ever ran Obasanjo’s administrations for him? Who ever nominated public office holders for Obasanjo throughout his tenure? Who imposed policies on Obasanjo? Indeed, on his first day in office in 1999, Obasanjo expressed thanks to all those who helped him but instantly requested all of them to keep away. If so, why must he aim to run government for others?

Former President Obasanjo is the cheapest critic in Nigeria as he merely echoes claims of the innocent public. Obasanjo was not bold enough to specify Lawal Musa Daura (DG, Department of State Services) and Mamman Daura, a veteran journalist, as the major focus of the charge of nepotism against Buhari. Admittedly, Mamman Daura is a nephew, but Lawal Daura (DG, DSS), might just be Buhari’s townsman. Is that, therefore, peculiar to President Buhari or Nigeria or even Africa? What, anyway, was the record under Obasanjo or former President Goodluck Jonathan? During Obasanjo’s tenure, his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo Bello, was Ogun State commissioner for health. Iyabo was also elected senator from Ogun Central, her father’s constituency. Above all, only the collapse of Obasanjo’s third term agenda cost his daughter the governorship of Ogun State for which she specially formed the Iyaniwura Foundation. Most remarkably, Obasanjo removed the serving Director-General of DSS to make way for Ogun State and fellow Egba, Colonel Kayode Are (retd). Obasanjo, therefore, owes Nigerians the difference between him and President Buhari, a task which should have been performed the very minute today’s journalists collected Obasanjo’s infamous letter.

Former President Jonathan similarly removed the Director-General of DSS he inherited and replaced him with his South South fellow indigene, Ita Ekpenyong. Why was there no complaint of nepotism? Much is being made of the influence Mamman Daura wields inside Aso Rock. A nephew of President Buhari? So what? At least, Mamman Daura is a Nigerian, who (whatever his blood ties with Buhari) has a constitutional right to serve in any government of this country. Who did Obasanjo import to wield influence on his administration for eight years? A former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in United States. An American inside the innermost chamber of Nigerian government? Would a Nigerian have been ever-privileged to access similar level of governance in the United States? Still under Obasanjo, a lavish marriage for another American acquaintance was celebrated inside Aso Rock. If such waste of Nigeria’s resources were to take place in Aso Rock for Buhari’s foreign acquaintance today, Obasanjo would have led the criticisms.

Allegation of nepotism in today’s politics? Only hypocrites, opportunists, the mischievous and the ignorant feed fat on such meal, all in the fraud of championing public morality.

In the United States, seeming nepotism is mere routine for an incumbent President. The 1960 episode of the much-loved John Kennedy appointing his immediate younger brother, Robert Kennedy, as attorney-general may be too far behind. Today, President Donald Trump has around him in the White House wielding great influence daughter, as special adviser, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, designated as special adviser but virtually more powerful on all Middle East matters than Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. Before making mince meat of Donald Trump, let it be known that Trump merely followed his predecessors, like Bill Clinton, who appointed his wife, Hilary Clinton, as head of a health review task force. The appointment was legally challenged but the court ruled the appointment was no nepotism. Under President George Bush Junior’s administration, Secretary of State Colin Powell’s son, Michael Powell, was appointed Chairman of Federal Electoral Commission. Nepotism? Obasanjo and co-travellers should read Adam Bellow’s book, In Praise of Nepotism Presidency.

A major achievement of President Buhari is that he has restored civility and harmony to the Presidency, such that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, himself a loyal and contented human being, was publicly appreciated by Buhari as “my brother.” Nigerians have not been treated to the crude illegality of manipulation of the Constitution in a futile attempt to humiliate an innocent man out of office. Obasanjo made allegation of financial crime of round tripping against unspecified members of Buhari’s administration. That can’t be true. If, however, he has the facts, Obasanjo has the duty to convey such to the EFCC Chairman. Lest we forget, pace of governance is inexcusably (repeat, inexcusably) slow. It should never again take seven months to announce, screen and swear in ministers. Equally the eventual dismissal of a doubly indicted SGF (by the Senate and Vice-President Osinbajo review committee) should not have been triggered only by the Maina controversy. Such slow pace or vacillation throws Buhari into avoidable frying pan of controversy

Should Buhari contest in 2019? That is his personal decision. Elections as well as the performances of a leader all over the world are determined by the electorate, who, in Nigeria’s case, run into multiple scores of millions. One man, in his arrogance, must not be allowed to appropriate such voting power to himself. Elections are either won or lost. When a man, who, towards the end of an eight-year term, plotted to rule for life (a treason offence) now arrogates to himself the moral of determining the political fate of a fellow citizen, we shouldn’t take him seriously. Buhari or Jonathan? There is no regret for Jonathan’s exit, in view of scandalous revelations. I endorsed Buhari since 2002 for the yeoman’s job, which he commenced less than three years ago.
I am satisfied.

[myad]

The letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo asking President Muhammad Buhari not to contest the 2019 election is one of the most misinterpreted missives in the Nigerian political climate.
Again, it shows that much as the polity has been awash with political tricks and subterfuges, that only few could discern the deeper meaning of each political development aside the mob approach and its literal application.
When Prof. Wole Soyinka wrote his popular play, Death and the Kings Horseman, his major worry was that the context would be lost in the lazy conclusion that its thematic agenda was to exemplify a clash in culture whereas it’s deeper meaning lies in the implication of having a man failing to stand in the gap for his people.
When the former President fired what he thought was a missile against the current president, unlike Soyinka, he was pleased that Nigerians have as usual failed to read between the lines to understand the contextual collocation of the missive, what informed its authorship and why it drew the conclusion it did.
For starters, let us compare the letter Obasanjo wrote to then President Goodluck Jonathan and with the one he sent to Buhari.
In the case of the former, Obasanjo made it clear that he was withdrawing his support for Jonathan.
But in the case of Buhari, he did not stop at saying he was withdrawimg his support, but went further to advance the counsel that the president should not contest in 2019.
The reason for this, is not far-fetched,
In the case of Jonathan, Obasanjo knew that his withdrawal of support is synonymous to the defeat of Jonathan as Jonathan apart from the motley cheer crowd restricted to his part of the country, had no structures to put him in clear lead without the support from Obasanjo and his retired military king-making class.
He knew that all he had to do was to personify the disaffection with the then existing order and all other things would fall into place; and that was exactly what happened!
But in the case of Buhari, he knew he had to go beyond that because the determining factors go beyond Obasanjo and the clique. The support base for Buhari lies with masses and the down trodden. His strength did not emanate from an elite endorsement but rather the elites endorse him for fear of the masses.
This, Obasanjo unobtrusively admits when he offered the advice that Buhari should not contest
Read between the lines: if Obasanjo was sure that Buhari could be defeated by the mere expression of disapproval or discontent by the clique he represents, he would not have wasted his ink beyond telling him he is no longer with him or even if he had wanted to say something beyond that, would have warned of the consequences of the embarking on that course of action.
But we see an appeal neatly tucked in a letter of hostility.
The reason for this is simple.
Obasanjo knows that the greatest political force in Nigeria today remains PMB and that as far as followership and massive support are concerned, that the current President of Nigeria has no equal.
Even before he became president, Buhari has amassed a cult like followership especially in the northern part of the country that till date has not been rivaled by any.
In the all the elections he contested, he has never polled less than six million and this is above the voting population in some regions of the country.
This was what made him the beautiful bride of the 2014/2015 coalition that threw him up as the presidential candidate of the APC because leaders of the coalition reasoned that with him, they have at least 10 million votes en bloc.
After Buhari became president, his acceptance by the Northern population has soared as he has been able to handle the problem of insurgent which the immediate past administration proved incapable of handling.
He has also mobilized funds in a presidential initiative to rebuild the North eastern part of the country. All these have made him more popular in the region.
President Buhari has also not rested on his oats but has moved to strike further advantages in places where he was thought not to be welcome.
He gave choice positions in his cabinet to people from the South east and started the construction of the second Niger Bridge.
The result of the last governorship election in Anambra State has shown that the APC has become the alternative party in the South east  pushing away the PDP to a third place position.
Further than that, the APC through Buhari has raised new sets of leaders in the South South like Rotimi Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole who are no push overs in the politics of the area and are only biding their time to deliver.
In the South west, the retention of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his intelligent interventions on national issues has made the zone impenetrable to other political forces and has reinforced the alliance with the Tinubu political camp.
Old man Obasanjo realized all these and he knew that the only thing that can stop Buhari is Buhari himself that was why unlike Jonathan, he did not dare him to contest but says ‘please don’t.’
The fact is, Buhari has remained the quintessential man of the people whose turf is beyond the conspiracy of a few elites.

Okanga wrote this piece from Agila, Benue State. [myad]