Ayoni M. Agbabiaka
Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has tasked the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to provide entrepreneurship development programme to empower women and youths in the Council.
This was as the Council administration said it had disbursed scholarship fund to the tune of N15 million to assist students in their educational pursuit.
She gave the charge yesterday at the commissioning of some projects executed by the Council to mark one year of the Hon. Micah Jiba’s second tenure as Chairman of the area Council.
She commended the spread of the project, saying, it fulfills the critical policy thrust of governance set out under the transformation agenda.
She said: “I like to, therefore, commend the chairman and council members for their commitment towards the provision of infrastructure and social amenities to the people as well as the Council’s investment in security and its partnership with FCT Administration to ensure the maintenance of security, law and order in the territory.”
The minister, however, said there were still many services that the Council could deliver to the people, urging the chairman to strive higher by justifying the confidence of the electorate who voted him for the second time.
“I will however, entreat the leadership of AMAC not to rest on its oars but to continue to work to alleviate the sufferings of the people. I believe strongly that we have the capacity to meet the people’s yearnings for functional health centres, portable water, better roads and sundry.”
“Furthermore, the Council can also provide entrepreneurship development programmes which would help empower our youth and women. The need for empowerment programme under which our fresh graduates, school leavers and women can be trained, re-skilled and where necessary, assisted with the needed seed capital has become imperative.”
The projects commissioned are a primary health facility at Waru, 1.2km Alsphat road at Apo Mechanic Village Extension, borehole facilities at Area One, Garki, Gishiri and construction of staff quarters at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Wuse, Zone 4, and commissioning of 10 patrol vehicles to the police in AMAC.
In his remarks, AMAC chairman, Hon. Micah Jiba, said at the inception of his second tenure a year ago, his administration adopted a strategy that would sufficiently offer antidotes to development challenges by internalising the concept of MDGs to bear on its policy direction and vision.
He said: “This has immensely assisted us in tackling primary health care delivery challenges, improved sanitation, enhanced social security, universal primary education, electrification and other inter connected infrastructural needs.”
He added that within one year of his second tenure, the council has disbursed N15 million in 2013 for the 2012 scholarship scheme to 700 students, 500 to tertiary students and 200 to secondary students.
He listed other projects accomplished in the education sector to include supply of over 1125 primary school pupil desks to 14 primary schools.
On electrification, he said the council among others, completed comprehensive rural electrification schemes at Zaudna, Karshi, Damagaza, Guzape-Asokoro and Sabon Iddo-Sarki communities.