By Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
Minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloyede Olajumoke Akinjide, has said that the engineering design of the FCT NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp which is planned to be situated in Kwali had been captured in the 2014 FCT statutory budget.
She, however, added that the construction of the camp would be captured in the national priority budget and not the FCT statutory budget as the camp was regarded as a national priority project.
She said this yesterday in Kwali at the one-year anniversary, inspection and commissioning of N306, 255, 259, 5.5km Yangoji-Dafa asphalted road in the area council.
She said: “The present council administration has hit the ground running and has keyed into the mission of the FCT administration to spread development to grassroots.
“Commissioning of the 5.5km Yangoji-Dafa asphalted road and other projects clearly demonstrate the desire of the new council administration to lift the area council to greater heights.”
She urged the residents of the area council to be security conscious, saying: “Please be aware of your neighbours and environment so that we continue to have peace that we have always enjoyed in Kwali.”
Chairman, Kwali Area Council, Hon. Daniel Ibrahim, said the project “was awarded at the sum N306, 255, 259 and cuts across three wards in the area council.”
He said: “The strategic location of the road no doubt will facilitate the transportation of farm produce from villages to the major markets within and outside Kwali area council.
“Since the completion of this road, the transport fare from Kundu-Dafa-Yangoji has dropped by 50 per cent and the cost of a farm produce from these areas has drastically reduced.”
He drew the attention of the minister to the Kwaita-Yebu-Kigbe road project awarded for construction in 2005 by the FCT administration under the Satellite Town Development Authority (STDA) but had been abandoned.
He also enjoined the traditional rulers, stakeholders and the entire people of Kwali area council to report any security challenges in their various domains to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
“We will do our best to ensure that more communities benefit from our transformation programme and continue to guarantee security of lives and property in the area council in the years ahead.”
Some of the projects commissioned included 5.5km Yangoji, Dafa road, 0.7km Ungwan cashew road, Kwali, 107 stands alone solar powered street lighting system, Kwali town, installed 500KVA transformers at Koroko, Yangoji and Sabon-Gari, Wako.
Projects also inspected by the minister were 2.8Km Bako, Boboto, Dabi road with asphalt overlay, various sizes of box cell culverts at Lokoda road, Leleyi Gwari and Chukuku Tsoho.