Abaji moves to tackle ‘alarming’ poverty

In order tackle the growing poverty in Abaji Area Council, of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the council has set up a six-man committee to draw an achievable roadmap for the purpose.

Inaugurating the committee the committee in Abaji, the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, who decried that the level of poverty in council is alarming, said it was what necessitated the formation of the committee, so as to come up with an effective way of cubing it.

According to the Royal father, the situation if not addressed, may become a security threat to the council saying “a hungry man is an angry man, and an idle mind is a devil’s workshop” will be facing the council.

A report by Abuja Digest, a weekly publication of the FCT Administration, said the monarch who is the chairman of traditional rulers in the nation’s capital, therefore tasked the newly formed committee to ensure it carries out an all-inclusive consultation with various relevant stakeholders and other grassroots people on how to reduce the alarming level of poverty in the council.

He however expressed confidence on the competence of the committee chaired by Sarkin Gabas of Abaji, Alhaji Kamal Adamu Shuaibu and other distinguished persons, whom he said would not hesitate o deploy their wealth of experience in proffering effective ways of tackling the poverty in the council.

Also, he promised to help them (the committee) in any form that he can, so as to achieve their mandate given to them.

Furthermore, he assured members of the committee of support from the FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, in anything that will uplift the standard of living of Nigeria citizens in the FCT, especially the local populace.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Kamal Adamu Shuaibu, reiterated the strong commitment in carrying out the task of liberating the people from the shackles of poverty, through the life transforming policies and programmes that the committee has put in place.

“If some of our youths have something doing, it would no doubt divert their attention from engaging in vices that will tarnish the image of their families and communities, and likely land them in jail.

“A situation where there is high level of poverty in the society, the youths will be left with no option than to seek for another way of survival which could be political thuggery, armed robbery, prostitution and other forms of crime,” he stressed.