Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has said that he wants a staff of his ministry that would tell him the truth about the situation on ground, not sycophant.
“I want the Federal Capital Territory and indeed the entire Nigeria to get to a stage where for instance, the Director of Urban & Regional Planning will tell the Minister or any political appointee that the plot of land you are asking me to earmark cannot be allocated because it is a green area meant for aesthetic, beautification or relaxation points for generations yet unborn.”
The minister who spoke at a special congress meeting of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), organised in his in his on Saturday at the Council Secretariat in Utako District, Abuja said that achieve such ideal, his administration will strengthen the various institutions in the Federal Capital Territory and maintain extant rules in carrying out all its statutory activities.
Muhammad Bello explained that under the proposed dispensation, that institutions would be allowed to do their work to ensure that all wrongs in the Federal Capital Territory in the past are corrected.
He reminded the people that Abuja is a creation of the law and in that in administering it, the rule of law would take precedence over other considerations.
“We need to strengthen the institutions to eradicate individual or selfish interests in our actions and inactions, especially with those in the position of leadership.”
The Minister said that the ongoing Abuja Light Rail project has reached 70 percent completion and that it would be completed and operational in December 31, 2017.
The Minister appreciated the media for the support it has been giving to his administration even as he appealed for continuous understanding.
Chairman of the Abuja Council of the NUJ, Mr. Paul Abeche Ella recalled that since 1976 when FCT got its first Minister, none of the other 16 Ministers had ever attended the NUJ Congress which Muhammad Bello had done.
He regretted however that 30 years in the life of the Abuja Council of the Union, it had no a permanent secretariat even as he appealed to the Minister to assist in completing the ongoing work at the Secretariat.
The NUJ Congress meeting was also attended by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, National President of NUJ, Acting Secretaries of all the Mandate Secretariats, Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, NUJ Zonal officials, all the state chairmen of NUJ in North Central as well as some FCT Directors, including Information & Communications, Development Control and Abuja Environmental Protection Board. [myad]
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