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Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

More than two years after his re-election in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally appointed Mandate Secretaries (equivalent of Commissioners in the states) for the Federal Capital Territory FCT.

The President equally approved the appointment of the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Task Team on City Sanitation, Attah Ikharo as Senior Special Assistant (Monitoring, Inspection & Enforcement) to the FCT minister.

By law, the president is the Governor-General of the FCT, with the minister only holding fort for him.

The appointment of the Mandate Secretaries which was announced in a statement issued Monday in Abuja and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT minister, Anthony Ogunleye, was based on recommendations by the minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello.

Equally appointed are the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA, Heads of Agencies and others into relevant positions in the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA.

Among those appointed are Ibrahim Abubakar Dantsoho, Secretary, Area Council Services Secretariat; Abubakar Ibrahim, Secretary, Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat; Sani Dahir El-Katazu, Secretary, Education; and, Dr Abubakar Tafida, Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat.

Others are Muhammad B. Umar, Secretary, Legal Services Secretariat; Hadiza Mahammed Kabir, Secretary, Social Development Secretariat; Zakari Angulu Dobi, Secretary, Transportation Secretariat; Agboola Lukman Dabiri, Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and PPP; Obinna Francis Ogwuegbu, Coordinator, Satellite Towns Development Department; Umar Shuaibu, Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council; Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmed, Executive Secretary, FCDA; Ibrahim Damisa, Managing Director MD, Abuja Broadcasting Corporation and Dr. Muhammed B. Kawu, General Manager, Hospital Management Board .

Twenty-six of the appointees are new, while the 14 earlier appointed by the FCTA were ratified by the President.

Some of those whose appointments were ratified were Abubakar Sani as Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the minister and Mr Austine Elemue as Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of State, FCT.

Abuja’s development not stagnated

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society groups in Abuja had earlier weighed in on the debate regarding the non-appointment of Mandate Secretaries, equivalent of Commissioners in states, by the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA, saying the issue hae not stagnated development in any part of the territory.

According to the Coalition of Nigerian Concerned Citizens, while having the secretaries in place was desirable, it did not however detract from the smooth operations of the FCT.

At a rallyin Abuja, Chairman and Convener of the coalition, Hassan Sardauna said; “As a group which believes in consolidating the gains of democracy through productive engagement of all stakeholders, we believe that the appointment of Mandate Secretaries to manage the various Secretariats of the FCT Administration, will add immensely to the system. However, the delay in the appointment of the Secretaries should not be perceived to have weakened the workings of the Administration. We want to use this medium to appeal to all stakeholders to show understanding because we believe that the leadership of the FCTA will do the needful at the appropriate time”.

The coalition whose members are mainly “original inhabitants” of the territory commended the FCT minister for embarking on the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project which they said is a major step aimed at enhancing water supply in the FCT.

“We are aware that the project will extend the supply of potable water to 33 Districts in Phases II and III covering Gwarinpa 1& 2, Utako, Dutse, Gudu, Kaura, Wuye, Mabushi, Jahi, Kado, Karmo, Galadimawa, Lokogoma, Kabusa, Dape, etc.

“As we speak, we have under construction today, about four to five massive interchanges and bridges. One of them is the bridge that connects Wuse District and Wuye District along Olusegun Obasanjo Way”, he stated.