THE Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (formerly AMMA) came into being in year 2005 as a response to the increasing development challenges besetting an evolving federal capital such as Abuja. AMMC is comprised of five departments namely: Parks and Recreation; Urban Affairs, Development Control, Facilities Maintenance and Management; Administration and Finance.

From all indications, these departments are meant to complement each other towards ensuring optimum service delivery to the residents of FCT.

Regrettably, the Council in the past was famous for demolition of properties, more than any other function. It appeared as if the organisation was set up to inflict pain on property developers in the federal capital. Conversely today, it is consoling that the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, under the new leadership of Reuben Okoya, an architect, has decided to refocus the organisation in a way that its core mandates can be realised in the interest of Abuja residents.

For example, the new leadership has taken the gauntlet to ease the problems usually associated with the processing of building plans in the FCT. Hitherto, it took upwards of one year to get a simple building plan to be approved by the Council.

Obviously, these delays and laxity caused untold hardship to many property developers and investors who want to invest in FCT. Going by the new policies being enunciated by the Okoya leadership, it would take only two weeks from now to process all qualified building plans. This is based on the reasoning that prompt processing and approval of legitimate building plans will greatly enhance economic development, investment opportunities and housing needs in the territory. In addition, if the call by government for the private sector to join in developing Abuja will yield the desired result, then all obstacles towards realising the goal must be dismantled.

In the area of demolition of illegal structures in the territory, it is gratifying to know that the Okoya leadership has decided to carry out their duties with due diligence and human face. This is commendable considering that the Jonathan administration which was founded on popular support by most Nigerians should not be seen to be acting with hostility on the same people.

Democratic governments all over the world are notable for being humane and considerate in handling public issues. Therefore, that the Okoya leadership has decided to tread softly on issues related to demolition is a thing of joy. Furthermore, that AMMC does not compromise standards in their operations, and yet remaining considerate in operations is commendable. In truth, demolitions should not be carried out just for the sake of it, as was the practice in times past.

In the new dispensation, demolitions are carried out with due diligence, observance of rule of law and decorum such that once it takes place, the Department of Parks and Recreation under AMMC swiftly moves in to fence off the area, thereby avoiding resurgence of squatter settlements.

In the area of emergency management, it is worthy of note that AMMC, through their Fire Service Department responds to fire disasters and other emergencies within the shortest possible time. Indeed, FCT is known nationwide to have the shortest response time to disasters or emergencies as they occur, which at the last count was five minutes. This is what it should be; after all Abuja, as the nation’s capital, must be seen to show example to other states in Nigeria. For example, when  Thisday was bombed by terrorists, AMMC was the first to arrive the scene, put off the fire and attended to several wounded victims.

Gladly enough, Okoya has given the marching orders to the FCT Fire Service to extend their operations to all nooks and crannies of the city as a way of creating easy access in case of fire disaster or other emergencies. The affected areas include Karu/Nyanya, Kubwa, Maitama, Gwagwalada and Zuba axis.

On FCT Parks and Recreation, the AMMC leadership has embarked on a programme of reassessing the operations of the open parks to ensure that they meet the acceptable minimum standards. In this connection, a committee was set up to evaluate the operations of the parks in FCT. Obviously, these moves are meant to sanitise the operations of the parks to ensure that they operate according to the original usage for which they were allocated. A situation where these parks have been turned into drinking joints and prostitution areas is unacceptable and the Okoya leadership is geared towards redressing this anomaly.

From all indications, Okoya is determined to help the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, achieve his mission of transforming FCT, and providing liveable Federal Capital Territory comparable to any other capital in the civilized world for all Nigerians. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to support these laudable efforts to make Abuja, not only a home for all Nigerians, but for generations yet to come.

Mr. CHUKWUDI ENEKWECHI, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.