By Stanley Onyekwere
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has commissioned completed erosion control bridge and road improvement works at Ashara-Wako rural community in the nation’s capital city.
Bello commended the efforts of the Ecological Fund Ofice of the Office of the Secretary of the Federation for its intervention efforts in curtailing the flood and erosion challenges in the FCT.
Also, the Minister commended the efforts of the traditional ruler of the area, Etsu Yaba, His royal Highness Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu whom he described as a great leader.
According to him, the traditional ruler, was unrelenting in his pursuit of the project, as the Etsu followed up the matter with personal visits, phone calls and text messages till the project was executed.
He equally also praised the traditional ruler for being a believer in the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, just as while commending the contractors of the project, Messr Masarki Nigeria Limited, he painted a vivid picture of what the place used to be like before the intervention.
“I really want to say that this successful project has many fathers and mothers. The number one mother of this project is Dr Habiba Lawal. We thank you very much.”
When I came here, we couldn’t have stood where we are standing today because it was all marshland full of water. Water was gushing from everywhere and you see vehicles parked on the other side because there was no way they could cross.
“But to God almighty, we are happy that under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, this has come to stay. This embankment and the bridge by the grace of God, is going to outlast all of us here,” the Minister stated.
He however stressed that it was very important that the community take ownership of the projects and ensure proper maintenance construction.
He therefore appealed to the Area Council chairmen of Abaji and Kwali to ensure that sand does not collect in the drainage and block it thereby leading once more to erosion.
Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Funds Office, Dr. Habiba Lawal had revealed that the project was initiated by the request of FCT Minister to President Muhammadu Buhari in order to arrest the continuous flooding of the river bank and the erosion of the bridge embankment at the Ashara/Warko river and also to restore the vehicular movement that was affected sometime in October 2018.
