By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Musa Bello, on Tuesday, swore-in leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former House of Representatives member for Abuja South federal constituency, Hon Zakari Angulu Dobi, alongside others as mandate Secretaries.
Our correspondent report that the minsiter also inaugurated the nelwy appointed coordinators of the Satellite Town Development Department (STDD) and the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) into their various offices.
In his speech at the swearing-in ceremony, which was held at the conference hall of FCDA, the minister said the appointments were done to advance the people-centered policies of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He, however, noted that appointees had undergone a very rigorous selection process, adding that their antecedents and proven track records were the major considerations that earned them the appointments.
He, therefore, charged them to always live up to the confidence reposed in them by President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerians in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The minister, while reminding the appointees that they had very little time to stay in office, urged them to immediately key into ongoing activities within their jurisdiction and help drive these activities further with more purpose and grit.
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Bello, while setting the agenda for the new appointees said social services, security, restoration of the Abuja Masterplan, in addition to improving waste management, city cleanliness, environmental protection, and transportation, among others were top on the agenda of the FCT Administration.
The minister said the FCT administration is working to create enabling environment for the private sector to become the major driver of the sector, to avoid the mistakes of the past where huge resources were expended by the government with little concomitant benefits.
He urged the appointees to continue to build on the successes recorded in the education and health sectors while urging them to also make efforts to complete all the ongoing infrastructural and road projects at satellite towns.
The minister, however, noted that the issue of revenue generation was a major concern of the FCT administration, saying the new Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, and PPP mandate secretariat was specifically created for such purpose.
Bello, who stated that the FCT was only next to Lagos in its Internally Generated Revenue receipt, added that the FCT has the potential to be number one in Nigeria and is determined to achieve this.
The minister however cautioned the new appointees against engaging in acts of corruption and economic sabotage, warning that the administration would not hesitate to punish any appointee found culpable.
He stated that the recent award given to the FCTA by the ICPC as the best across the country in the Ethics, Integrity, and Compliance Scorecard was an indication of the anti-corruption posture of the FCT administration
“Once again, I wish to reiterate that anyone found guilty of malfeasance will not be shielded and will certainly be punished to the full extent of the law,” he said.
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He further stated that the FCT administration intends to strengthen the institutions of governance in the FCT and rekindle public confidence in the Administration’s bureaucratic machinery.
“Going forward, we have a lot to accomplish as we intend to leave behind a lasting legacy for the people of the FCT,” he said.
The minister, therefore, advised the appointees to work in synergy and leverage effective horizontal communication in the discharge of their responsibilities in the office.
