By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, said plans are underway to reintroduce monthly sanitation as part of strategies to keep the city clean.
He stated this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT, yesterday.
Wike said that he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the idea that at least two Saturdays in a month would be declared for sanitation from 7a.m. to 10 a.m.
He explained that the move would enable companies supporting the FCT with logistics to go to market, and other public places to evacuate refuse.
According to him, for Abuja to be clean, everybody has to cooperate.
“We must all make sacrifices. There is nothing like we are going to suffer. You also contribute to refuse.
“So, if you spare three hours on a Saturday at home, to clear the refuse and bring them out for us to evacuate and dispose, then that is the little way you can help.
“We are appealing to you (residents) to cooperate with us so we can achieve our goals.”
On streetlights, the minister said that there were some improvements: “We are not there yet, but I can assure you that everywhere in Abuja will be lit up.”
For those who have distorted the Abuja Master Plan, Wike said that the issue would soon be addressed.
He added that the Federal Capital Territory Administration was working out which areas the parks and the greens were supposed to be and those that were built on.
The minister also said that the government would look into those who refused to develop their plots for many years.
Wike said that the President Tinubu-led administration would not continue to allow undeveloped land across the city where criminals were taking refuge.
End.
FCT N5bn palliative: Food, transportation top list
By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, said food and transportation would be given priority attention from the N5 billion palliative received from the Federal Government.
Wike stated this in Abuja after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT, yesterday.
The Federal Government had on August 17th announced a N5 billion palliative for each state of the federation, including the FCT, to cushion the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
Some of the state governments have confirmed receiving N2 billion from the amount, while awaiting the N3 billion balance.
However, the minister said that the FCT was not included in the N5 billion palliative until he wrote a memo informing President Bola Tinubu of the development.
He added that Tinubu has approved the amount, adding that other states have received N2 billion already, expressing confidence that the FCT will equally receive soon.
“But we are yet to decide on what to do with the N2 billion palliative. We have not chosen any area yet.
“Are we going to concentrate on food, but we are thinking that the issue of transportation is very very important, particularly the urban mass transit.
“People would like to have easy transportation to go to where they want to go, and if you give them rice and they eat the rice today, what about transportation tomorrow?
“So, we have not come up with what actually we are going to use the money for, but I believe food support and transportation is very key,” he said.
The minister added that efforts were ongoing to bring back urban mass transportation to be able to reduce the suffering of the masses in terms of transportation.
End.
