By Stanley Onyekwere
The leadership of the six Area Council Chairmen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the Area Council Services Secretariat (ACSS) have dissociated itself from the purported ongoing cold war over exercise of authorities of the councils and the FCT Administration, in their quest to ensure good governance in the grassroot level.
This is coming on the heels of recent reports purporting that the area council chairmen take decisions without recourse to the office of the Minister of State, who supervises the activities of the councils and other auxiliary matters or FCT representatives at the National Assembly who oversight the FCT Administration.
However, in a swift reaction, both the authorities of the area council and the FCT Area Council Services Secretariat have described the allegations as mischievous and a deliberate attempt to pitch the area council chairmen against the office of the FCT Minister of State and representatives of the National Assembly.
This was disclosed in a joint press statement issued by the six area council chairmen and FCT Area Council Services Secretariat, which was made available to PeoplesDaily yesterday.
The statement blamed it on mischief makers and political detractors, who are bent on ensuring that they sow seeds of discord between the office of the Minister of State and the council chairmen.
It was gathered that the chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, who signed on behalf of the council chairmen said; “our attention has been drawn to a news item trending in both traditional and social media platforms orchestrated by some disgruntled characters. Ordinarily, the authorities of the area councils would have ignored the entire report and remain taciturn, but silent is consent.
“The publication is a desperate attempt to plant seed of discord between Her Excellency and the council chairmen and must not be allowed to stay. We will not take her motherly love for granted. We are very loyal to her and have never had it so good till her coming. Therefore, nobody should disturb this peace.
“If reporters or media organisations have personal issue with any chairman, they should go and settle their matters, and not drag other council’s chairmen into it by discrediting the entire body.
“We should be rational on issues and not be laced with emotions or ignorance on matters that often times we know nothing about.
“We are therefore, calling on our people to disregard the malicious publication aimed at overheating the system. We will not be deter in carrying out our constitutional mandates of providing welfare and security to our people”.
Also, the Council authorities pledged their loyalty to representatives of the National Assembly who oversight the activities and workings of the FCT Administration, stressing that no amount of cheap blackmail would deter them from working for the common good of rural communities.
Similarly, the Ag. Secretary FCT ACSS, Mrs. Omolola Olanipekun, also affirmed that both the Area Council and the secretariat are having a harmonious relationship, in driving the policies of the Administration.
Olanipekun adds: “To state the obvious, the secretariat is amazed at the immeasurable phew of the reporters and its sponsors in conjuring events and hallucinating conversations that are not related to the subject matter. They could be best described as an indefatigable genius in dishing out tissues of lies.
“And to set the records straight, let me state categorically here that, we enjoy harmonious relationship with the six area councils in the Territory. We advice them to please carryout their individual background checks on the activities of these revered bodies with the able supervision of the Honourable Minister of State.”
