The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has warned the Coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Mr Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, against negotiating with contractors.
Wike, who gave the warning yesterday while inaugurating the coordinator in Abuja, advised him to view the appointment as an opportunity to contribute to national development.
He advised Zulkiflu to effectively coordinate activities in the satellite towns, as against sitting in the office and negotiating with contractors.
“It is your business to coordinate, liaise, and brief me as the minister of the FCT. You are not sent there to sit in your office and begin to negotiate with contractors. If I find out, I will not hesitate to take necessary action,” he said.
The Minister said that the FCT Administration was working to ensure all satellite towns felt the impact of the government.
He urged the coordinator to utilise the opportunity to achieve results and make the needed impact, pointing out the numerous ongoing projects in the satellite towns.
This, he said, would ensure that residents of satellite towns feel the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
“Mine is, do your work. If you do your work, everybody will see that you are doing your work. I don’t like praise singers. Your actions will speak for you. Now that FCTA is seriously involved in the development of satellite towns, make sure that things are done very well,” the Minister said.
Wike also charged the coordinator to ensure effective sanitation in satellite towns, adding that he would not condone any form of corrupt practices associated with the cleaning of the areas.
He said that FCTA pays the bills of satellite town cleaners every month, without verifying whether they have carried out the job or not, lamenting that people want to make money without doing the job.
“What we have done now is to make sure that all the area councils’ chairman is involved in vetting before payment is carried out. Now you are the coordinator, make sure that things are done very well before you send me any paper.
“Mr President found you worthy to contribute to national development, particularly as regards the FCTA. This is for you to contribute to driving the renewed hope agenda in satellite towns,” he said.
*Seeks clean area councils’
Meanwhile, Wike has called on the newly-appointed coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD) to ensure the cleanliness of the area councils.
The Minister, who alleged fraud in payments for the cleaning of the area councils, said the practice would no longer work that way.
He directed area council chairmen to vet the cleanliness of their communities before papers were sent to demand payments from the administration.
“Also, in cleaning the satellite towns, let me just say clearly, that we are seeing a lot of fraud; because we do not even know whether they are cleaning the place, and at the end of the day, they put in paper for payment.
“The other day I was coming back from Kwali, and I called the Permanent Secretary of Area Councils and I said, “Look at the roads, look at the whole refuse, if I didn’t pass here now, at the end of the month, they would have put paper, money, pay.
“So, what we have done now, is to make sure that all the area councils’ chairmen are involved in vetting before payment is carried out. Now you are coming, you are the coordinator, you make sure that these things are done very well before you send me any paper,” he said.
