COVID-19 won’t stop provision amenities for Abuja residents- Aliyu declares

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has assured that despite the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the FCT Administration would not fail to provide essential services to residents of the territory.
Aliyu, who acknowledged that the pandemic has dealt decisively with global economies, however maintained that the FCT Administration would continue to pursue people’s oriented projects such road, water and other infrastructural projects especially in the satellite towns.
The Minister who gave the assurance when the Executive members of EFAB City Estate paid her a courtesy visit, stressed that development of the city should be a collective responsibility of all and sundry.
Aliyu, who used the occasion to thank the leadership of EFAB City Estate for what she described as purposeful partnership in the provision of affordable housing to residents of the territory, however, warned that the administration would not circumvent the existing laws for any development.
Earlier in his remarks, the President of EFAB City Estate and leader of delegation, Dr. Aminu Atabo, said that the Efab estate has not had it rosy in the area of infrastructural developments, especially the access road leading to the estate.
He added that residents of the estate had earlier called on the administration to provide temporary measures on the road before it gets cut-off from the rest of the city.
Atabo, also used the occasion to appeal to the minister to use her good office to direct the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to maintain the original corridor on the Master Plan, warning that any attempt by the authorities to deviate from the original plan, property worth N1.4 billion would be demolished.
According to him, “this road network from Life Camp junction end to our entrance gate is less than 2 kilometers. This road has been abandoned for several years and right now, is about to be cut off.
“The properties along this corridor of alleged encroachment were initially marked for demolition. These are properties belonging to individuals who took mortgages and retirees who hitherto dedicated their entire active lives to the services of the nation.
“Our findings indicated that there was no encroachment when the land was first allocated and developed. We would therefore deeply appeal to your office to direct the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to maintain the originally stipulated master plans that will not affect these houses that the combined values if tempered with are put together at N1.4 billion based on 2014 valuation”.
He, therefore, pledged the readiness of the estates for the construction of the temporary road network valued at the contract sum of N64.7 million, while appealing to the administration to support the project.