ABUJA RESIDENTS TO START PAYING FOR INFRASTRUCTURES AS FG CAN NO LONGER FUND THEM

Abuja City Gate, Abuja (Photo: Premium Times)

 

The FCT Minister, Bello Muhammad, has said that residents of the territory may have to pay for infrastructure as government could no longer continue to fund it.

 

Mr. Muhammad said this while on an inspection tour of ongoing road projects by the FCT, being executed by Gilmort Engineering Ltd. on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

He said, tremendous amounts are needed for the provision of infrastructure in many of the districts of the FCT.

 

According to him, while it was possible in the past to develop the FCT, the reality now is that to develop each plot now requires tremendous amount of resources.

“I think it is just a matter of time, we will have no option but to ensure that every plot has to pay for itself.

“If you look at it on a plot to plot basis the cost of infrastructure for a plot is so high and if you look at what people pay to government it is so negligible,” he said.

 

According to him, 30 years ago when Abuja was created and people were encouraged to come in, it made a lot of sense for government to provide infrastructure.

 

Mr. Muhammad said this was because infrastructure had not matched the level of development, adding that this had to be so because government could no longer fund infrastructure, while allocating plot for free.

 

According to him, this is something that requires “all of us to really sit down as stakeholders and not just the FCT administration”.

 

He stated that if residents of FCT craved for first class infrastructure, they have to be willing to pay for it.

“That is why the development of the city without given due cognisance to funding and providing for infrastructure does not help the city. That is why you see that the city has so many districts with 100 per cent houses without infrastructure,” he said.

 

He commended the contractor for doing a good job based on the level of work on ground.

 

Ben Simon, Chief Engineer, Gilmor Engineering Ltd said the company is determined to complete the project in 20 months.

 

He said that Phase I Guzape District HD has been completed and the company was working hard to ensure the completion of Phase II.

IPOB REMAINS A TERRORIST GROUP, PRESIDENCY INSISTS

Special Adviser to the President on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, has described as inconsequential the recognition accorded the Indigenous People of Biafra by some foreign nations as a non-terrorist group, despite Nigeria’s recent proscription and designation of the group as a terrorist organisation.‎

Obono-Obla also disclosed that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami(SAN), would soon charge the promoters and members of the proscribed group for allegedly operating illegally in Nigeria in violation of Section 54 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

He maintained in a statement which he released late on Sunday that IPOB’s activities qualified it as a terrorist group as defined by the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013.

The presidential aide said by its advocacy and modus of operation, IPOB terrorised, harassed or intimidated “those who do not subscribe it to its separatists ideology and ethnic bigotry before its proscription”.

He added, “So it is a terrorist organisation! This is also an organisation that was hounding and killing Nigerians in Rivers and Abia States before the military intervention!

“This is a group that was burning police stations; killing police officers, throwing bombs at military convoys, threatening to make the country ungovernable, threatening to stop governorship election in Anambra State!

“Most importantly a court of competent jurisdiction -Federal High Court has presided over by the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Abdul Kafarati upon an application filed by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation hinged on Section 2 (1) (a) & (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act granted an order proscribing IPOB! So whether EU or United States of Nigeria or any foreign country says about IPOB is immaterial , irrelevant and of no moment!”

He insisted that the designation of IPOB as a terrorist group with the backing of a court order proscribing it last week was Nigeria’s domestic affair, which foreign nations should not meddle in.

With particular reference to the European Union and the United States of America, Obono-Obla said meddling in Nigeria’s internal affair could erode the nation’s sovereignty.




He said, “I have previously said that the international community should not meddle in our internal affairs because doing that will amount to an erosion of our sovereignty!

“The EU has no business absolutely and totally with our internal matters so if EU says it does not see IPOB as a terrorist group, it does not matter as far as Nigeria is concerned.

“It is inconsequential! We all know by the definition of a terrorist organisation within the meaning of the term as defined by the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act , IPOB is a terrorist organisation! Also it by its advocacy and modus of operation it is a terrorist organisation! It used to terrorise, harassing or intimidating those who do not subscribe it to its separatists ideology and ethnic bigotry before its proscription so it is a terrorist organisation!

“I want to add that the USA may say IPOB is not a terrorist organisation by US Law because it is a registered business concern in the State of California in the United States!

“However by Nigerian law a foreign company which is not registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission by the provisions of Section 53 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2004 is illegal.

“And by Section 54 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act it is a criminal offence for a foreign company to operate in Nigeria without registration! So all this while IPOB was operating in Nigeria illegally!”