By Ben Adoga, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that there would be no abandoned projects in the FCT during the reign of President Bola Tinubu.
Wike, who flagged off the construction of the 11-kilometre Yangoji-Sukuku-Ebo Road in Kwali Area Council of the FCT as part of his rural roads reconstruction and rehabilitation, said with him representing the President, all projects started will be completed.
The flag-off took place yesterday in the Yangoji community.
“I can’t support what will not work. The period of abandoned projects in FCT is over. No project in the FCT under President Tinubu will be abandoned. No project under me and the minister of state will be abandoned, we will not be tired of working,” Wike stated.
He charged the people of Kwali to support the policies of Mr President and protect government projects on their land.
“Pray for President Tinubu for good health and wisdom to deliver more projects,” he said.
Wike said the community people in the rural area deserve good quality projects.
He assured that the road would be of standard quality. He also disclosed that he would build 24 schools across the six area councils.
The Minister charged chairmen of area councils to live with the people, rather than abandoning the people and live in the city centre.
He assured the chairmen that he would support them in delivering on projects, admonishing them chairmen in the territory to stay in their domains and develop the communities.
“Continue to stay at home. Don’t come to the city regularly. Stay there and do the work. My own is to support you. If you don’t do well for rural communities, you will create problems for the city,” he said.
Wike also promised to complete the abandoned projects in the area council by previous administrations.
The 20,000-capacity sporting facilities were awarded alongside five others across the six area councils of the territory under the administration of former FCT minister, Bala Mohammed.
While assuring residents of the territory of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving their welfare through massive project provisions and job creation, the minister empathised with residents over the high cost of living being experienced at the moment, noting that the situation is temporary and that things will soon change.
Also, the National Assembly FCT Committee members in attendance gave their support.
House of Representatives member representing Abuja Abdul Rahman Ajiya explained that the road had existed since the creation of FCT as earth road that it is only Wike to tar the road and that it would expand economic activities in all the communities by the road.
The chairman House Committee on FCT, Fred Agbedi, assured the commitment of the National Assembly to support the minister to deliver on projects and called on the Kwali people to support the minister and the President and keep the peace so that the government can deliver on projects.
The Minister added another feather to his cap in Kwali as he bagged his fifth traditional title yesterday in Kwali.
Elder statesman and retired National Population Commission Commissioner, Dr Aliyu Banks, on behalf of the Kwali traditional council conferred Wike the title of ‘Kauran Kwali’ meaning courageous leader who leads from the front.
A title he accepted and was presented with a symbolic spear.
He was also presented with a fattened cow and tubers of yam.
The traditional leader of the area, the Chief of Pai, Alhaji Abubakar Sani, thanked President Tinubu and Wike for their commitment to providing infrastructure in rural communities, particularly roads.
Sani said that the road when completed, would make it easier for farmers to transport their farm produce and improve security in the area.
He appealed that the gesture should be extended to primary healthcare centres to improve the quality of health services in rural areas.
FCT NSCDC Commandant warns vandals, urges courts to impose stiffer penalties for vandalism
Irked at the incessant vandalism of critical national infrastructure, Mr Olusola Odumosu, the FCT Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has sternly warned perpetrators to desist or face the wrath of the law.
Odumosu gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Odumosu said that the command would prosecute anyone caught vandalising public properties.
He said that though the Corps had been arresting culprits following intelligence tip-offs and security surveillance, the consistent rate of vandalism was worrisome.
The commandant appealed to courts to impose stiffer penalties for vandalism of critical national infrastructure to serve as a deterrent to unrepentant criminals in the FCT.
“There is no room for anyone who wants the efforts of the government of the day to be futile.
“The Federal Government is trying its best to ensure the FCT is beautiful, infrastructurally equipped and properly secured.
“We can’t allow those embedded with greed to steal from citizens and the government at large,” he said.
Odumosu further said that an intelligence report revealed that scavengers ‘Baba Bola’ were responsible for most acts of vandalism in the territory.
“This is because their activities in the FCT are gathering a dangerous momentum. The command will beam more searchlights on them and stop their criminal infestation,” the commandant said.
He assured of a renewed raid of some of their hideouts within the Abuja metropolis and the suburbs.
Odumosu charged personnel of the command to perform their duties professionally and anyone caught in the act of vandalism should be arrested and prosecuted.
He advised parents to monitor the movements of their wards and warn them against engaging in crime.
The Commandant also urged members of the public to support the corps in ridding the FCT of miscreants.
“Furnish the command with necessary credible information about their activities and hideouts in various neighbourhoods,” Odumosu appealed
W’Bank provides $45bn to tackle global food crisis
The World Bank Group said it provided $45 billion comprising $22 billion in new lending and $23 billion from its existing portfolio to scale up its food and nutrition security purpose in its latest response to the global food security crisis.
The new facility according to the Bank’s latest Food Security Update report released on Tuesday, includes both short-term interventions such as expanding social protection, and long-term resilience such as boosting productivity and climate-smart agriculture. It is expected to benefit 335 million people, equivalent to 44 percent of the number of undernourished people.
The bank’s latest intervention for the food and nutrition security portfolio which spans across 90 countries is informed by confirmation that inflation in food prices remains high globally.
Around 53 percent of the beneficiaries were women who were disproportionately more affected by the crisis.
“Some examples include the $766 million West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme, which aimed to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in West Africa”, according to the Update which stated that there was an additional $345 million commitment currently under preparation for Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The World Bank declared that food inflation is over five percent in 63.2 per cent of low-income countries, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than in the last food update on January 17, 2023.
The Bretton Wood Institution in the Tuesday report also noted that the inflation level was greater than five percent in 73.9 percent of lower-middle-income countries and 48 percent of upper-middle-income countries which recorded no percentage change from the last update.
The bank whose available data on food prices has confirmed looming food insecurity also noted that in high-income countries, the food inflation level was also higher than five percent in 44.4 percent of countries, which was 1.9 percentage points lower than in the last food update.
In total, the report said that in real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 71 percent of the 165 countries where data was available.
The report citing the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), noted that the recent attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have triggered a 40 percent decrease in trade volumes in the Suez Canal, which is decreasing global food security, emphasising the critical problem of food insecurity within the context of various challenges.
“In 2023, food prices, a significant component of the agricultural price index, declined by nine percent because supplies of major crops were ample, except for rice, which declined by 27 percent.
“Food prices are expected to decline further in 2024 and 2025, although potential risks such as energy cost increases, adverse weather events, trade restrictions, and geopolitical uncertainty could affect them.”
The report said that a blog post from the World Bank’s Agriculture and Food Global Practice discussed the urgent need for circular food systems to address environmental challenges.
Circular food systems, which emphasise reduce-reuse-recycle-remove approaches, are proposed as a way to build profitable, sustainable, low-emission food systems. (Source: insidebusiness.ng)
