In the beginning it was as if it would never come to pass, but here we are, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu has clocked one year as executive chairman of the most viable local governments in Nigeria.
The journey was tortuous but to the glory of God, the journey has started and within Maikalangu’s first year as the chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, each of the 12 wards that constitute the area council has been impacted on.
The legislature has not been left out neither is the traditional institution left behind just as infrastructural development span every ward of the council.
As was said earlier, from the onset, nobody, including Maikalangu, ever thought the race to AMAC secretariat in Area 10, of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, would be this tough.
As a first step, he put a halt to the leaking purse of the council. He terminated the rights hitherto enjoyed by the various consultants operating within the council.
He found out that sufficient revenue is being generated but only peanuts gets into the coffers of AMAC.
Maikalangu, therefore, introduced a user-friendly digital software payment solutions (application) to block revenue leakages, replace the analogue and ineffective cash payment system of revenue generation and collection in AMAC.
The area council boss said that concerted efforts are on to stop all forms of leakages and improve on the modus operandi of revenue collection in AMAC with a view to improving on its tax collection approaches, block leakages and restore sanity in revenue collection and management.
The chairman emphatically said that the government would not rest on its oars in bringing infrastructural development nearer to the residents, adding that the present administration was committed to running an inclusive government by using the communities as springboard for social and economic development.
He said, “Since we came on board despite the dwindling federal allocations, we have done our best towards ensuring that workers’ salaries are paid as at when due in spite of the continuous shortfall in our statutory revenues”.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to pay all outstanding liabilities owed to contractors who have so far completed various contracts awarded by the immediate past administration of the council.
His administration, he said, is on the speed lane and wants to work with anybody who will be on the same page with his administration.
In a bid to access quality basic health care services in AMAC, Maikalangu said his administration has provided medical facilities and renovated of the new primary health care facility donated by the Rotary Club of Abuja, Karu Housing Estate.
He expressed the hope that the provision of quality health care services would reverse the poor health indices in the council.
The AMAC chairman charged traditional rulers in the council to ensure they safeguard government infrastructure within their domains and environs.
Maikalangu called on all ethnic nationalities in the area council to be law-abiding, patriotic and prayerful for the success of the nascent council administration. He implored missions, multinational corporations, individuals and good spirited non-governmental organisations to consider local councils across the country in the discharge of their corporate social responsibility to augment the rising educational and social needs of citizens given the fact that government alone cannot cater for the diverse needs of the grassroots people.
Already, he has set in motion the upgrade of the existing council community radio station in Karshi to an economically viable broadcast station that would compete favourably with its peers in the country and also compete favourably with other choices that abound in the FCT.
He has, therefore, urged residents of the FCT to embrace personal and environmental hygiene to effectively fight malaria. He spoke against the backdrop of preventable deaths of millions of adults and children which he partly blamed on citizens’ non-challant attitude in adhering to primary healthcare rules such as general lackluster to mosquito treated nets use as well as absence of personal and environmental hygiene.
Within the year under review, Maikalangu granted a four-year tax relief in his first term for all shops owned by the Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, in AMAC.
Some of the buildings his administration has embarked on include but not limited to: construction of one block of three classrooms with headmaster’s office with toilets at Madallah community; construction of one block of three classrooms with headmaster’s office with toilet at Iddo Sabo community; fencing of GBESA Primary Health Center and construction of Primary Health Center at Pykasa community.
On road projects, Maikalangu has been able to rehabilitate Wumba township roads; rehabilitation of Iddo Daraki access road and rehabilitation of Mindic road Gwagwa.
As for water projects, within one year, Maikalangu has embarked on construction of comprehensive solar community borehole at Damgma, Kokoipo, Angwa Gade – Jikwoyi, Angwa Gbagji–KarshuARSHI; and at Area C – Nyanya.
On electrification projects, he has supplied and installed transformer at Toge community, Tatajiya community and Hulumi community.
With these laudable achievements within one year, the four-year first term looks encouraging and the residents of AMAC have reasons to appreciate their conviction for electing Christopher Zakka Maikalangu as the council chairman. Indeed, the future looks bright. Maikalangu, please, carry on
Abdul writes from Abuja via [email protected]
