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FCT Stakeholders' Forum emerges
From: Jim Pressman, Abuja Bureau Mon May
9,2011
Abuja-based Civil Society Organization (CSO) named The
Friends of FCT has pulled together leaders of various
groups, unions and associations in the Federal Capital to create
the FCT Stakeholders’ Forum (FCTSF).
Convener of FCTSF, Prince Nwazuruahu Shield, says the
association is geared towards aggregating the views, needs,
aspirations and challenges of FCT residents in order to make
appropriate presentation to the administration of the FCT and
other relevant authorities, with a view to finding adequate
solutions to challenges faced by FCT residents.
The Forum, an amalgamation of leaders of frontline Civil Society
Groups in the FCT concerned about the continuous
underdevelopment of the FCT and the perennial refusal of the FCT
authorities to respect the residents’ views and incorporate
their inputs on policies and programs that affect them
critically. The group has Hon. Lashilola Moses Oladipo as
Head, Admin Services and Elder Sonnie Nwosu as Head of
Mobilization & Strategy.
Prince Shield says the formation of the Forum is highly
imperative and long overdue considering that “Ministers come and
go, but the residents remain the direct beneficiaries or victims
of the good or bad policies of these ministers, respectively.”
Although the Forum recognizes and respects section 302 of the
1999 Constitution which empowers the President to appoint a
Minster for the FCT, Shield argued, “it is highly essential that
the legitimate aspirations of law abiding, tax-paying FCT
residents be put into consideration while making these
appointments.”
Chairman Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) FCT Chapter – one
of the CSOs in the Forum, Engr. J.O Akinteye, submitted that
there is “a need for all and sundry to be involved in
developmental project-monitoring and evaluation, which he said
would reduce the incidences of building collapses, budget
non-performance and other related anomalies.”
Nigeria Medical Association, FCT Chapter boss, Dr. Nicholas
Baamlong, posited that all the outlined challenges have direct
consequences on the quality of health of FCT residents. He
enjoined the administrators of the FCT to step up their
commitment to the health sector by upgrading existing health
infrastructure and providing more health facilities in the FCT
to reduce the pressures on the existing ones.
Other challenges identified by the participants, for which the
Forum seeks to proffer solutions include:
·
Uncontrolled and arbitrary rent regime and increase
·
Lack of
affordable housing
for the bulk of FCT residents
·
Indiscriminate dumping of waste and defacing of the city with
posters of different shades and colours.
·
The endemic ‘One-Chance’ syndrome
·
Lack of efficient traffic control/management system
·
Non adherence to the Abuja Master Plan
·
Indiscriminate land allocation to cronies and associates of
people in authority
·
Poor land administration system in the FCT.
·
Inadequate transportation facilities.
·
Policy summersaults
·
Total disconnect between government and residents
·
Non-availability of a policy framework for the engagement,
empowerment and employment of FCT Youth.
·
Inability of the National Assembly to legislate for the
betterment of the FCT.
·
Poor project implementation and funding
·
Selective appointments and patronage.
·
Wastage and leakages in the spending of government resources
·
Non-commitment of government to the education sector of the FCT
The event, held at the National Merit House, Maitama was
attended by leaders of Civil Society groups including:
The Chairmen, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), FCT Council,
Nigeria Society of Engineers
(NSE) FCT Chapter, Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA),
FCT Chapter, Presidents of Abuja Artistes Association (AAA),
Centre for Intervention on Poverty and Social Vices in Nigeria
and The Nigeria Project Initiative; Chairman, Abuja People’s
Assembly, President, Pegi Youth Forum, Chairman,
National Association
of Nigeria Theatre Arts Association, (NANTAP) FCT Chapter and
President,
Grassroots
Women and Youth Forum.
Also represented were The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria
(PSN), Civil Society on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CISHAN), Nigeria
Institute of Planners, The
Chemical Society
of Nigeria, Equity, Better Electoral and Legislative Empowerment
Initiative, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDOH),
Trade Unions,
Religious Bodies, Community Leaders and Neighbourhood
Associations.
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