The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), FCT Chapter has passed a Vote of Confidence on President Goodluck Jonathan, the FCT Minister, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed as well as the FCT Minister of State, Olajumoke Akinjide.
The Party at ts Stakeholders / Family Meeting on Thursday in Gwarinpa I District, Abuja appreciated all the laudable and people oriented policies and programmes of the Federal Government, particularly as it affects the Federal Capital Territory.
The Stakeholders therefore assured the President and his lieutenants in Federal Capital Territory that they are solidly behind them.
The FCT PDP Chairman, Yahaya Suleiman, the past and the present FCT PDP EXCO members, Senator representing FCT, Philip Tanimu Aduda, members of the House of Representatives representing Abuja North and South respectively, the past and present Area Councils’ Chairmen, as well as the Party Ward leaders attended the stakeholders meeting.
The stakeholders all spoke in one voice appreciating the good works of the FCT Administration; stressing that they have always been carried a long in the administration of FCT by the current crop of its leadership.
They specifically noted the Federal Appointments like the Commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission, National Assembly Service Commission, Revenue Mobilization and Allocation amongst others, where residents of the Federal Capital Territory have been considered.
Responding, the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed appreciated the Vote of Confidence on President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the FCT Administration under him and noted that it would spur them to greater heights.
The Minister called on the other PDP State Chapters in the federation to emulate the FCT, which has been and remains a source of encouragement to his administration because the chapter has always shown reliability.
While promising to deliver their Vote of Confidence message to Mr. President, Senator Mohammed remarked that politics is all about good governance, love and reward.
Meanwhile, the Minister at the meeting announced the reduction of Land Application Fees of all Area Councils’ Land from N100, 000 to N50,000.
He reiterated that this new policy has become necessary, considering that the value of Land within the 250 square kilometers of the Federal Capital City is not the same with plots of Land in the Area Councils and satellite towns.
According to him, the new policy would afford less privileged residents of the Federal Capital Territory to access land, thereby reducing congestion in the city centre.
The Minister disclosed that the FCT Administration needs over N200 billion for resettlement and compensation of villages within the Federal Capital City.
Mohammed thus, urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the FCT Property Tax bill before it, to get better ways of improving the funding of the FCT as the FCT Administration is expecting between N400 billion to N500 billion annually from it.
He further disclosed that the FCT Administration has so far engaged about 3,000 youths in the FCT SURE-P and that 1,000 women would soon be engaged in the FCT Clean & Green Programme.
He therefore directed all the Secretariats, Departments and Agencies under the FCT Administration to employ more women in order to empower them.
