NEWS
FCTA Taskteam Demolishes Illegal Structures in Dutse, Kubwa
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
In order to restore sanctity of the Masterplan of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Taskteam on City Sanitation yesterday took its demolition exercise to Dutse Makaranta, Sokale and Kubwa F01 axis of the Bwari-Dutse road in the Territory.
In particular, owners and occupants of illegal structures, including scavengers within these communities and along Bwari-Dutse road corridors played host to FCTA bulldozers, accompanied by security personnel attached to the team.
Some of the structures removed were illegal car wash marts and attachments belonging to E-Fountains Event Centre, Total Child Model Schools, Salvation Teaching Centre and Khalad International Schools, located around Sagwari Layout and Sokale, in Dutse axis of the busy Bwari-Dutse road.
Also demolished were illegal pantaker dumpsite in Jabu layout within Kubwa FO1, as well as Nino Prestige Lounge on waterways and road corridors in the area.
Leader of the Taskteam, Comrade Ikharo Attah, said all the affected structures had no appropriate title, but over the years were built heavily, and conscripted the road corridors, turning the place into notorious markets.
“Since we started at Iddo, Mpape, Nyanya and even the city centre, we have not entered into Kubwa axis, and we have gotten so many calls to come to Kubwa and Dutse axis.
“Today, we came into Dutse-Alhaji and Kubwa axis, containing clear illegalities notoriously responsible for heavy traffic gridlock in the area.
So we are here to actually clear this alignment, and remove all of these properties that breached the Abuja Masterplan.
“We also took downward stretch towards Dutse Makaranta, which we could not finish removing much illegal structures around the alignment there, but we are hopeful, that we will actually come back to continue the cleanup exercise here.
“And we also went to clear some very terrible criminals’ den, where scavengers occupied inside part of Kubwa FO1 , removal of the structures is aimed at restoring the Abuja Masterplan, and all those who live in Kubwa here will be very happy, as the extreme gridlock that’s known to here will all disappear.
“It’s pathetic, because everyone here got notice, but they just sat down, as they don’t care, and we can’t continue living like this.
“What pains me most is that we gave notice, and I even insisted that Development Control Department gave a second notice. So they gave first and second notice, but people them wiped off , believing that government would not come, and that’s paining me,” he continued.
Similarly, Secretary, FCT Security Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, explained that “this part of Kubwa FO1 is a new developing site which harbours a lot of scavengers.
“And this axis once it’s 7 pm , you can’t have thorough fair here, because hoodlums always attack anybody passing through this road, some few years ago, they killed a police man , and stabbed another there, using different dangerous weapons, that’s why we have come to rid the place such criminal elements there,” Attah explained.
Augustine Olorintoba, a landlord in Dutse Sokale, described the exercise as a very good one, in the sense that all want to keep Abuja very clean.
“Abuja has to be clean and decent, we landlords of Dutse Sokale are very happy, because most of our drainages have been blocked, and water is not going through.
“We appreciate the FCT Minister for his commitment to making Abuja clean. The area is looking fine , but one thing we will ask is to ensure that there is no roadside trading particularly around this Sokale junction because the activities are causing traffic gridlock here particularly in the night,” he stressed.
NEWS
Board Sanctions 118 Immigration, Civil Defence Officers
The Board of NSCDC, Fire Service, Correctional, and Immigration Service, has approved the sanction of 118 personnel for various offences.
The Board Chairman, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known at the end of their meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo, who is also the Minister of Interior, told newsmen through the board Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Ja’afaru, that the erring officers were punished after facing disciplinary panels for various offences.
“These offences range from misconduct, negligence of duty and outright absence from duty posts.
“In the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCOs), there were 48 cases of offences, in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), there were 21 cases.
“Also, in the Federal Fire Service (FFS) there were 12 cases while in the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), there were 37 cases,“the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo added that the board has reviewed and approved new guidelines for appointments, promotions, discipline and general purpose in the services.
He said that the board also considered and approved the timeline for the conduct of the 2024 promotion exercise in the four services.
“The board considered and approved the review timeline for the conduct of the 2023/2024 fire service recruitment.
“As for the ongoing recruitment in the fire service, we hope to publish the names of the successful applicants latest by June 15. That is where we are for now.
“We also want to use this medium to warn the general public to ignore whatever they have been seeing or hearing in the social media space as they did not emanate from the board.
“This is because, we have come to realise that the social media world had been awashed with fake news telling applicants to come for screening exercise or pay certain amount of money.
“Let me put it emphatically that the board is not asking anyone to pay money for recruitment.“
He urged applicants to be patient, saying successful candidates will be notified to come for further screening through their emails and mobile lines. (NAN)
NEWS
NSCDC Inaugurates Female Strike Force to Secure FCT Schools
The FCT Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Olusola Odumosu, has inaugurated the corps Female Strike Force to protect schools in the territory.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Idoko, on Thursday in Abuja, said the inauguration followed the completion of a three day training for the personnel.
Odumosu said that the primary responsibility of the strike force was to ensure the safety of all schools in the territory.
He said that the training had equipped them with the needed skills and capabilities to carry out their duties.
According to him, the training is a follow up to the recent meeting of all FSF Unit Commanders with the Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.
Audi had charged them to be up and doing in view of the reported cases of kidnapping in some parts of the country.
“The training is imperative to ensure compliance with the CG’s directive on the mandate of securing schools for the safety of students and staff.
“Cases of abduction in schools must come to an end, that is the primary purpose of this training.
“We need to restore the confidence of the people in our ability to secure schools in the FCT,” the commandant said.
He therefore called on schools in the FCT to register with the National Safe School Response Coordination Centre, so that they could be added to the ecosystem.
Odumosu explained that the registration was free and meant to ensure better coordination and make responses to emergencies more quicker and efficient.
Odumosu assured that the training and retraining of the personnel would be held regularly to ensure prompt response to any security threat.
“We must make schools safe haven once again for children,” he added.
He charged the female strike force to conduct routine patrol and surveillance of schools to prevent threats and attacks.
He also enjoined the strike force to hold periodic security awareness and enlightenment talks for student and teachers.
Odumosu also directed the operatives to abide by the corps’ Standard Operational Procedure in discharging their duties and avoid over zealousness in the use of force or fire arms.(NAN)
NEWS
Tinubu Appoints Bello as new Chairman of CCB
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Abdullahi Usman Bello as the new Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), pending confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Abuja.
Ngelale said that Bello was a consummate professional with more than 25 years of work experience in consulting, banking, law enforcement, financial services and academia.
He said that the President anticipated the new Chairman would lead the Bureau with utmost integrity toward the realization of its mandate of maintaining high standards of public morality in the conduct of government business.
Ngelale said Tinubu expected the new appointee to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standards of morality and accountability.(NAN)