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Reps Summon FCT Minister Over Decaying Infrastructure, Insecurity
The House of Representatives has resolved to summon the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, over what it describes as the deteriorating state of the nation’s capital.
This follows a motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Toby Okechukwu, during the plenary on Tuesday at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.
The lawmaker, who insisted that the minister was not doing the job for which he was hired, stressed the urgent need to arrest the decaying infrastructure and general insecurity in the FCT.
His colleague, Gideon Gwani, seconded the motion.
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Okechukwu expressed concern at the seeming neglect of infrastructure maintenance and development in the nation’s capital.
According to him, Abuja has never been as unsafe as it is now as lecturers, journalists, and individuals are being kidnapped with reckless abandon.
The lawmaker lamented that the rate of decay was fast spreading from the city centre down to the satellite towns.
He was also worried that with the budget released to the FCT, it has no business being in its present state of decay and disrepair.
Okechukwu, therefore, called on the House Committee on FCT to continue effective oversight on the activities of the FCT Ministry, adding that the House should summon the FCT Minister to update the lawmakers on his activities.
In his remarks, Nicholas Ossai, who represents Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency (Delta State), informed his colleagues that the House Committee on the FCT has already set up four sub-committees to look into the issues of concern in the motion.
But Okechukwu stated that the House has active roles to play in ensuring the office of the FCT Minister performs optimally as required by the minister’s terms of engagement.
Thereafter, lawmakers present at the plenary voted on the motion and it was adopted.
Meanwhile, the House has waded into the matter of the missing journalist with Vanguard Newspaper, Tordue Salem, and has given its relevant committees a two-week ultimatum to liaise with the service chiefs and security agencies to unravel the mystery behind his disappearance and report back to the lawmakers.
