How FCTA end insecurity in Abuja -Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, believes that the series of stakeholder engagements with the FCT Area Councils was essential in combating insecurity in the FCT. 

He conveyed this during a media parley in Abuja on Thursday.

He stated that this engagement led to the arrest of notorious kidnappers who were terrorizing the nation’s capital.

“Then again, we have a very proactive Police Commissioner in the person of Benneth Igwe who also knows the terrain of Abuja. He has been the DC of Police in charge of operations and he is now the CP and the area is not new to him.”

“Within a week, we were able to apprehend the major culprits, those who are behind the series of kidnappings in the FCT,” he said.

Presidential directive

He revealed that President Bola Tinubu directed a series of security town hall meetings with the FCT Area Councils to enable the Administration to get the cooperation of residents in the fight against insecurity.

He stated that the Administration visited all the Area Councils to have town hall meetings with stakeholders and get their buy-in for what the government intends to do.

He also noted that the proactive Police Commissioner, Benneth Igwe, who knows the terrain of Abuja well, played a significant role in ensuring the success of their efforts.

He reiterated that security is one of the key priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr Tinubu.

He explained that approvals had been granted by the President for the emergency procurement of security gadgets for the security agencies in the FCT, which eliminated unnecessary delays in the procurement process.

He lamented the inadequate equipment of security agencies in the FCT and emphasized that combating insecurity requires more than just government intervention.

“I told Mr President that we have to do something and there must be emergency procurement of this equipment because if we go through the normal process of procurement, it takes months,” he said.

Mr Wike stressed that residents must also provide timely intelligence that will help to nip insecurity in the bud in the FCT.

Road construction

He also revealed that the requests made by the FCT Area Councils for road construction and provision of police divisions to tackle insecurity were being addressed.

He stated that a provision has also been made in the FCT’s 2024 statutory budget for the construction of more rural roads in the FCT Area Councils to improve security.

On revenue generation, he commended the President for the exit of the FCTA from the TSA and for providing the needed support for actualizing the Renewed Hope Agenda in the FCT.

He added that the funding of infrastructure projects in the FCT has been attached to revenue generation, which has increased the confidence of contractors and contract variations.

He urged FCT residents to pay their ground rents to support infrastructure development and social amenities provision.

The Minister also discussed other aspects of city management, including transportation and housing.

He said that private investors were showing interest in introducing CNG buses and taxis to the FCT.

He also stated that the FCTA has made provision for the construction of bus terminals for the various routes in the FCT.

He stated that only registered buses and taxis would be allowed to ply designated routes in the FCT as part of the city’s transportation policy.

Regarding the provision of housing, the Minister said that the FCTA would only grant allocation to genuine investors with proof of funds and capacity to provide mass housing.

Creation of Civil Service Commission

He also talked about the establishment of the FCT Civil Service Commission, which had been done to encourage career progression in the FCT.

He said the FCT Civil Service Commission would also help to strengthen the bureaucratic structure of the Service, improve dedication and performance and encourage overall human capital development.

Commitment to PDP

He added that though he is still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his focus is on governance and how to deliver the mandate of the President in the FCT.

He said, “The President has given me an assignment. When the time comes for politics, then we will know”.