To those who do not travel across the length and breadth of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a daily basis, development in the territory would seem to them as a mirage. It is no longer news that Abuja is one of the fastest growing federal capital territories in the world. This is as a result of a survey carried out by the United Nations in their often released World Development Report WDR. This report has corroborated the often held belief that Abuja is a fast developing modern city. The sector by sector development in the FCT in recent times when peered reviewed with the speed of infrastructural developments in the past will show all interested gaugers of the FCT development that the momentum has changed for the better. The dream of making Abuja the best federal capital in all facets of development is still alive if the present tempo is maintained. The Abuja development index must not only be gauged on the basis of the physical infrastructural development sectors that are tangible but must also include the intangible sectors like education and health sectors which have received massive investments from the FCT Administration in recent times. The education and the health sectors of the FCT development processes has received tremendous leap in focus from the authorities and this shall form the our sectorial development focus in this piece. Education: To ensure that education remains the inalienable right of every child in the FCT, the present administration led by the FCT Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, incentivised the leapfrog approach to the development of that sector by recently presenting certificates to over 140 newly approved and accredited schools. This brings the total number of public and private schools in the FCT to a manageable total of 572.This is prior to an evaluation by the inspectorate department which certified that these schools are competent in the areas of physical infrastructural facilities and environmental, academic activities and support services, and above all welfare. Five new secondary schools, namely, GSS Bukpe, GSS Gosa, GSS PaikonKore and GSS Gwarimpa Estate have now been established to tackle the influx of students into the FCT which expectedly increases the pressure on the ever over-stretched education infrastructure in an ever expanding city. This also necessitated the closure of over 556 illegal private schools after they were deemed not to have the required standards as stipulated by the Educational Standard Board. The FCT Administration has also settled its liabilities in the counterpart projects with other international partners that are aimed at boosting the educational facilities in the FCT. The released counterpart authorised is to the tune of N2.8 billion which enabled the administration to access the UBE funds, including the unpaid arrears of the 2014 for the Teachers Professional Development fund (TPD, amongst others. This has brought the FCT up to date in its financial obligations to UBEC having been up to date. To this end, such projects as the Nigerian-Korean model school, the construction and rehabilitation of over 400 primary and junior secondary classrooms blocks across the territory, fencing of 3 secondary schools, furnishing of classrooms, offices, transit, and staff quarters at the University of Abuja, Abuja University of Technology, Abaji, provision of laptop computers to secondary schools in Kuje and Jabi, among others, have been completed and paid for. Other projects worth N3.8 billion that were awarded and completed include the furnishing and equipping of science laboratories at GGSS Kuje and GGSS Abaji for computer-based examination centre (CBE), ITVI, supply of laptop computers for students support programme of the FCT Scholarship Board, Area 11, Garki, development and expansion of e-education database and network infrastructure at DPPR and S, amongst others. The FCT Administration is doing more than can exhaustively be outlined here and the benefit of these investments in educational infrastructures is manifesting daily. FCT schools have been reaping the fruits and benefits of improved investment by the government as attested by the prizes and awards of commendation that were received during the year. Schools in the FCT have excelled in many local and international competitions they partook in. Example is the National Inter-schools Space competition held at NSPRA, Abuja with a cash prize of about half a million won by an Abuja school, etc. The aim of government’s investment in education can never be overemphasized. The well-being of the citizens and especially the inhabitants of the FCT can basically be concretized through the provision of education; and this the government has done creditably. Musa writes from Abuja
Gemade denies hijacking SDP primary election materials
By Daniel Agbo Makurdi Senator representing Benue North-east, Barnabas Gemade yesterday denied allegations that he hijacked electoral materials for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) senatorial primaries to doctor results in his favour. Gemade also accused Senator Joseph Akaagerger of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the SDP senatorial primaries. Sen. Gemade and Sen. Akaagerger are contesting for the ticket of the SDP to represent Benue North-east senatorial district, popularly known as Zone A. Sen. Akaagerger had earlier held a press conference at NUJ House, Makurdi and alleged that electoral materials were taken to Gemade’s house in Gboko to by the electoral officers sent to conduct the election. But while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Makurdi, Senator Gemade debunked the claims by Sen. Akaagerger that he was responsible for the electoral irregularities during the national and House of Assembly primaries in Benue. Gemade accused Akaagerger for holding hostage the electoral officer sent to the area to conduct the election insisting that it was the act that led to the disruption of election in the two local government areas. He said that he was relatively new in the party and it would not have been possible for him to hijack the structures of the party as claimed by Akaagerger. “What Akaagerger said is very far away from the truth. It is a very pedestrian way of lying. That statement is a big lie, nothing but a lie. I cannot understand why Akaagerger has continued to be a laud trouble maker. The primaries were successfully done in five local government areas. It was only in Konshisha and Vandeikya councils that the primaries were not conducted because Akaagerger and his supporters disrupted the process. ”Akaagerger is someone who is so desperate for power. He is only ranting. All the elections that I have won, I won them without indulging in crooked means. ”He is hired by those who drove me out of my party (PDP). I can live with nuisance even insults but cannot take lies against me. ”He should leave my personality alone because I cannot take it lightly with anyone who wants to smear my reputation,” he said.