By Joshua Egbodo
Abuja
House of Representatives has started the process of establishing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wider Areas Planning and Development Commission, as well as Security Trust Fund for the Territory.
The Committee on the FCT has already to that effect organised the public hearing on the two bills titled: “A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the FCT Wider Area Planning and Development Commission and for other matters connected therewith and “A Bill for an Act to establish FCT Security Trust Fund and for other matters connected therewith.”
Declaring the event open, Speaker Yakubu Dogara urged stakeholders to make meaningful contributions toward achieving the goals of the bills, stressing that he was using the “opportunity to urge you all the contribute your ideas and opinions towards resolving all the issues thrown up at this public hearing for the benefit of the nation.”
The Committee chairman, Herman Hembe, on his part, said the public hearing would afford every critical stakeholder a platform to air their views on the two bills.
Sponsor of the wider areas bill, Hon Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi (PDP, Nasarawa), said the objective of the bill was to implement measures inclined to develop the four states that border the FCT. The four states are Nasaraw, Niger, Kogi and Kaduna.
He said: “Over the years, these suburbs as they are classified have recorded high population densities in terms of accommodating majority of people working in the FCT but cannot afford to live there.
“The bill is therefore aimed at establishing a commission that will be saddled with the responsibility of bringing development to the wider areas through the provision of basic infrastructure and social amenities that will bring about a certain level of urbanisation.”
Permanent Secretary in the ministry of FCT, Babatope Ajakaye, said the ministry would come up with its position on the two bills after proper and wide consultations.