By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Muhammad Musa Bello has urged the residents of Abuja to own their city just as he said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has surpassed expectations in the area of infrastructural development and urban renewal projects in the
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) within the past seven years.
He also revealed that the FCTA districts have grown from nine districts when he was appointed Minister in 2015 to 33 districts at the moment, adding that urban renewal projects in the city have equally received a massive boost during the period under review.
Bello who made these disclosures at the 40th Session of the State House Ministerial Briefing held on Thursday at the State House Press Gallery, Presidential Villa, Abuja also used the occasion to provide further updates on key collaborations between the FCTA and the satellite towns around the FCT in the implementation of some of the major projects being executed by this administration.
According to the Minister, FCT has witnessed an unprecedented infrastructural development while urban renewal projects have received great attention since the administration of President Buhari.
Said he: “the administration of President Buhari has paid great emphasis on infrastructural development of the country including that of the FCT. Mr. President also emphasised on continuity hence we embarked on the completion of the projects initiated by past governments.
“So, when I was appointed on November 2015, I focused on the completion of what was on ground, we have also initiated new projects that are being executed strictly under the Abuja Masterplan as directed by Mr. President”.
Speaking further on the giant strides his ministry has made in seven years of the administration of President Buhari, Bello said aside of the massive inner city development, satellite towns have witnessed quantum leap in infrastructural development.
“We have achieved a lot in opening up the city with the massive roads construction in FCTA including the inner and outer arterial roads to decongest heavy traffic on the roads in the city especially roads leading to the three major arterial roads in FCT: Airport-Umaru Yar’Adua Expressway; Nyanya-Keffi-AYA Expressway and Zuba-Suleja-Kubwa Expressway roads”, the minister stated.
He posited that FCT under his watch has worked very hard but silently to achieve huge successes in the construction of many new roads, bridges and the provision of necessary amenities or infrastructures in the satellite towns of the FCT.
Said he: “it is gratifying to note that the completed roads and bridges in FCT and the on-going construction works in the FCT have given Abuja a very good facelift that very resident should be proud of.
“It must be noted that Key collaborations between the FCTA and the satellite towns have yielded fruitful results with the infrastructural development going on around the FCT even in the implementation of some of the major projects being executed by the Administration”.
Bello therefore urged FCT residents to own their city by helping in protecting the critical infrastructure which has been built for the use of the residents.
