The recent exploits of the newly appointed FCT task force chairman, Ikharo Attah, reminds residents of the territory of the days of Malam Nasir El-Rufai as minister; writes ELEOJO IDACHABA.
It is believed that when anyone is looking for diligence service, it is not in the public sector where it is erroneously perceived that whatever belongs to the government belongs to no one in particular; hence, public service delivery can be done anyhow.
This, according to public analysts, is the reason many erstwhile public institutions hitherto established to serve the masses immediately after independence, like Nigeria Airways, NICON Insurance and others died thereby leading to the privatisation and commercialisation of many in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Of more concern is how public service both at the state and federal levels has become a resting place for workers who have the impression that service delivery is no longer synonymous with remuneration. It was for this reason that former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, during his inaugural address in 1999 told civil servants that it would no longer be business as usual; hence, he told them to desist from tardiness towards government business. Before he came on board, may public servants acted like government contractors who attended to public duties essentially after inducements.
As a follow-up, Obasanjo established service delivery unit otherwise called SERVICOM in all government offices with a view to ensuring that government businesses do not suffer any delay on account of any reason. Through the unit, citizens were allowed to evaluate service delivery as contained in the social contract between the people and government.
How far the unit has fared since the former president left office is a matter of discourse for another time. This is because there have been complaints of lukewarm attitude signalling a return to the old order in many government offices lately as files remain unattended to. In many cases, civil servants demand for gratification before they carry out their legitimate duties. In extreme cases, colossal damages are done before any emergency response.
Like a new sheriff in town…
However, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) today, it’s a new ball game altogether as a new sheriff in town appears to have taken over the affairs of erstwhile stubborn sectors that had defied every conceivable solution. He is like a round peg in a round hole. Ikharo Attah, the former State House correspondent of ITV television now chairman, FCT task force management team has shown that public service delivery is still possible.
From every indication, his areas of responsibilities know no bound as he takes charge of traffic management, parks management, sanitation and lately enforcement of the compulsory sit-at-home order by the federal government over the covid-19 pandemic as it affects the nation’s capital.
For instance, Attah leading a team of security operatives last week effected the arrest of a pastor in the Apo district of the territory over failure of the pastor to comply with social distancing order given by the government. That was not all, in Jabi area of the territory; he stormed the premises of Christ Embassy Church and stopped a wedding ceremony also in contravention of social distancing order placed by the government.
Report had it that the team began operation at Wuse market and moved to the church following complaints that it was holding wedding ceremony and other activities. Attah subsequently addressed the gathering and dispersed the worshippers urging them to respect constituted authority. “The Holy Book admonished us to respect constituted authorities; therefore, it becomes a misnomer if those who are supposed to lead by the example in the scripture are the ones that disobey government rules. We have to lead by example and to that extent, this ceremony is illegal today,” he said.
Just as the team left Jabi, it came to Wuse Zone 6 and stopped a wedding reception just about to begin within the neighbourhood. It also visited major markets like Wuse, Dutsen-Alhaji, and Utako and ordered their immediate closure.
Also, in line with the social distancing order, leading the task force team, he directed road traffic enforcement officers across the city to arrest of drivers who overload their vehicles with passengers beyond the stipulated number. He said at a time when the whole world is advocating social distancing, it would be inappropriate for drivers to overload their vehicles all in a bid to make quick money.
“Those carrying two passengers in front of their vehicles would have their vehicles impounded and drivers licence seized. Besides the health risks, it is also unsafe as the driver finds it difficult to adjust his gear and hand breaks,” he said.
On movement violation
The team under Attah warned security agents who are supposed to enforce government directive against movement with the 14-day window stipulated to desist from flouting the restriction order, saying only those on official duties are allowed to move in line with the order of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, “The virus wants to live on the body. When nobody picks it up, it dies. All security men should stay in their houses except those on official duties.
“If we are to allow all uniform men to roam the streets, the restriction would have no impact. We want to quickly end this coronavirus pandemic so that we can return to normal lives.”
Traffic management
Traffic congestion is already a common phenomenon in the territory, especially along the popular AYA/Nyanya/Keffi axis. Investigation shows that most often, security operatives either on official or unofficial duties violates traffic rules within the peak period thereby compounding the traffic situation. Bearing that in mind, the FCT task force team led by Attah in one of the meetings he had with security agents in the minister’s conference room warned against such bad example. This was after two lives were reportedly lost to gridlock along the route. He also used the opportunity to warn heavy duty vehicles against movement during peak hours, saying that they have no choice, but to comply.
According to him, “Going by what happened few days ago where a trailer ran into other cars, killing two people and chopping the legs of many trapped inside some cars; we need to give hope to motorists plying the road. We want to tell them that normalcy has returned.”
Ban of early morning checks by VIO
One of the causes of heavy traffic especially in the morning is the activities of vehicle inspection officers popularly known as VIO who embark on checking vehicle papers during the early hours. The task force under Attah rose to the occasion and restricted such checks to commence as from 10am when traffic would have been less. He warned that severe sanctions would be imposed on violators.
He said, “The road traffic officers of various agencies must focus on freeing traffic from 5a.m. to 10a.m. They are to commence checking and inspecting vehicles and their particulars from 10 a.m. across the city.
“The enforcement does not affect the stopping and arrest of heavy duty vehicles driving during peak traffic periods. Any of such vehicles must be stopped from plying the road in accordance with approved policy to avert fatal road crashes occasioned by break failures usually associated with such heavy duty vehicles.”
Demolition of bank fence
Earlier in the year, the taskforce team demolished illegal fence erected by a bank and owners of commercial buildings at Dutsen-Alhaji which had been causing serious gridlock along that corridor thereby subjecting motorists from Bwari and adjoining territories to untold suffering.
Blueprint Weekend gathered that after several deadlines given to owners of such premises to comply failed, bulldozers from the territory pulled down parts of the perimeter fence of a bank and some commercial buildings located by the roadside on the busy Dutsen-Alhaji axis connecting Bwari and other towns to the city. Justifying the move, Attah restated the determination of the FCT administration to rid the city of traffic congestion.
He said, “What happened here is a distortion of the approved land use. The entrance of the commercial property is contributing immensely to the traffic bottleneck on the Dutsen-Alhaji to Bwari road, so they have to go.”
Like el-Rufai, like Attah
Blueprint Weekend also learnt that since the exit of Malam Nasir el-Rufai from the territory as minister in 2007, no minister has had the gut to restore the distorted master plan. Ambrose Ojei, an Abuja resident, said, “Ikharo reminds me of how el-Rufai worked tirelessly to restore the Abuja master plan for those who were around then. It takes someone with the mindset of order to restore the bastardisation in the city. We are witnessing another era of Malam Nasir el-Rufai. Today, traffic management is coming under control, parks are being relocated to ease flow of traffic, and sanitation is also being enforced in worst areas. This is how to be a public servant.”
The journal of Mentors Greater Kingdom Impact indicates that, “Attah is an excellent leader who had displayed his stellar quality wherever he has served as still serves. He has always had a passion to improve his life and that of others around him.”
Service delivery our watchword – SERVICOM
According to Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli, the national coordinator of SERVICOM, it was established to help implement the wordings of the compact between government and the people and until now, she said that is what the agency has been doing.
“The initial steps taken by the office were to work on the side of the service providers, that is the ministries, departments and agencies, where we had to get the federal executive council and the president to give directives that the MDAs should write their service charter. From the inception of SERVICOM’s existence, we have been working strategically to engage both sides. We started with preparing the service providers to know that the real reason they are there in the first place is to serve the people. On the part of the service takers, we have been telling them to engage service providers because of the overwhelming apathy in the system as people don’t trust what government can do. Anywhere you find diligence service being rendered, it is our watchword.”
‘Public service reform inevitable’
A public service commentator, Otive Igbuzor, once said, “Reform of the public service in the country became imperative because of the systems and processes through which the machinery of government operated. Meanwhile, there were several challenges facing Nigerians, especially in terms of provision of health services, education, transport, waste disposal, security, regulation and enforcement of legal duties. The public service, therefore, has to put in place systems and processes that will help to deliver services to citizens using transparency and accountability mechanisms to pursue delivery of service targets.”
