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32 THE NORTH REPORT •Continued from page 31 embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of several roads across the local government area. They include a ten kilometer twin Hills, Renwienku - Katumai road linking Irigwe and Rukuba Chiefdoms. 15.3Km Gurum - Assak - Bomo road linking Pengana and Rukuba Chiefdoms, 11.6Km Assak - Jebbu Bassa road linking Buhit and Assak Wards, 9km Rimi - Bakin Kogi road linking the two wards in Pengana Chiefdom. Apart from the rural roads which are capable of turning around the economy of the people, the chairman made efforts to provide electricity to villages that had been in darkness. Hon Racha said, “It is obvious that the resources of the local government is very low and we will not be able to provide electricity to all the communities in need, hence we decided to carry out such social services one in each of the three chiefdoms in the local government. In Irigwe Chiefdom we installed a transformer at Te’egbe to serve the electricity needs people of the areas, in Pengana Chiefdom a transformer was installed at Angwan Gabar in Jengre. And in Rukuba Chiefdom, we installed a transformer at Dutsen Kurra. The administration has also, within the one year in office made concerted efforts to solve the problem of scarcity of water to the people. According to Hon Racha, “A total of nine borehole projects were executed across the local government, each of the three chiefdoms having three. That of •A rural road being rehabilitated by the Rancha administration THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 New deal for council residents in Plateau •Hon Rancha Pengana Chiefdom is located at LEA Primary school Lungu-Katako in Kadamo ward, Jengre market in Jengre ward and the third one is in Mista Ali market. In Rukuba Chiefdom, the three boreholes can be found in Abanizara, Nyakala and Uranden villages. While those of Irigwe Chiefdom are located at GSS Kwall, PHC Te’egbe and Chinye villages respectively. Besides, the administration secured two additional boreholes from the federal ministry of water resources, Abuja. The two boreholes are located at Baginji vegetable market and Miango market in Zobwo ward. In addition, the administration also secured two other water project from the federal government water project, the included the abandoned Minago - Kwall Water Dam Project. The water dam project has dual advantage to the people; for irrigation and hydro-electric power generation. The second one is the Ariri earth dam project located at Ariri in Irigwe Chiefdom. The executive chairman has also showed serious concern in the well being of citizens of the local government with series of health program. For instance, the chairman re-introduced the monthly sanitation exercise in the local government as the chairman took over the supervision of the monthly exercise from house to house. The comatose drug revolving loan has been fully revived and made functional to service the drug needs of the people. In addition, the local government had collaborated with the state ministry of health for massive distribution of treated mosquito nets to all primary school pupil and pregnant women to reduce the scourge of malaria in the rural communities. •A section of intending pilgrims during their screening at Kwami Local Government Area, Gombe State •From left: Former Deputy Governor, Abia State, Hon. Erik Acho Nwakama; Chairman, Jokos Oil, Chief Johhny Okosun; Emir of Borgu, HRH Haliru Dantoro and Chief Matthew Uwakwe during a courtesy visit to the Emir in Niger State •Voters casting their ballots during the re-run election for Kwami East Assembly constituency in Gombe State at the weekend
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 Website: http://www.thenationonlineng.com Page 33 •The lights BEFORE now, traffic lights were quite uncommon in Abuja. Those that existed were malfunctioning. This informed the posting of traffic wardens to some strategic intersections in the city to control traffic. That was then. Currently, most of the moribund traffic lights have been resuscitated as residents woke up recently to notice that the traffic lights were blinking again. Changes residents never thought possible have become reality as politicians and their contractor friends ensure that most of the dilapidated infrastructure in the capital city are revived, at least to prove to the incoming administration that they are capable of making things happen. Though Abuja boasts most modern facilities that other states lack, the city has always had an ugly record of maintenance culture and most contractors take this trend for granted, even as they manipulate the system and On come the lights From Grace Obike abandon projects which contracts they have been awarded. The most visible aspect of the low maintenance culture had been in the area of traffic lights. There is prevalence of broken down traffic lights as one drives through the city. Some of them give confusing or conflicting go ahead sign to motorists so much so that they could cause accidents. Some of them come on when they are not supposed to or go off when a particular lane should have right of way. Residents and motorists have been complaining about this situation for so long and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) transport secretariat always claimed that something was being done about it. Recently, there is a wind of ‘The administration recently changed from using the public power supply to powering the traffic light with solar panels. ýWhat is actually happening now is that all the traffic lights in Abuja are being changed to solar panels and we intend to finish soon. The development is a partnership with the Chinese and we have been working on it for a long time. It’s possible that residents are only noticing it now. If you look closely at places where you see traffic lights now, you will also see solar panels mounted on top of it’ NATIVES of Kpaduma communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to end the incessant demolition of communities in the territory. Speaking on behalf of the natives at a news conference on Kpaduma communities’ court case against the Senator Bala Mohammed-led administration, Secretary to Kpaduma communities, Simon Baba-Yerima said with the incoming administration, there is hope for the natives against marginalisation and threat of lives by the present administration. change with regard to the functioning of the traffic lights in the FCT. ýCurrently, there is no need posting traffic wardens to man all the intersections of Abuja because all the dilapidated traffic lights have been fixed and new traffic lights have been installed in locations where residents never believed was possible. The traffic situation had always been a nightmare in front of the Wuse Zone 3 Market. Here, people driving towards the market from around the bridge always struggle their way through, especially when the traffic wardens where not around. However, one morning, residents woke up to behold a new traffic light installed on the road which has drastically reduced the traffic situation. Mr. Jonah Festus plies the route daily. He expressed surprise at the sudden development. He said: “ýI learnt that the contractor that was supposed to install the lights had been paid a long time ago. He did not install them. Now that Buhari is about to be inaugurated, he has decided to do it out of According to Baba-Yerima, a situation where ancestral homes of the natives are demolished and they are driven out to look for where to reside, their farmlands are taken from them without adequate compensation, is inhumane to the natives of the FCT and should be discontinued in order for peace to reign in the territory. “So, we pray that the incoming administration of Gen. Buhari will put a stop to the menace and inhumane treatment that is meted on the natives of the FCT by the present administration. We have suffered a lot in the hands of this government. “We believe that as a leader who fear for what might happen to him. “This is a good development. The Abuja traffic light system used to be terrible, but now with all this changes, driving around Abuja is turning into fun.” Another resident Chidi Agu expressed delight at the development in the city. He said: “It is really nice driving around town these days and noticing that the •Continued on page 34 Indigenes appeal to Buhari to end demolition From Gbenga Omokhunu has the passion for the masses and not only for the high class in the society, he will listen to our cries and bring soccour to the FCT natives. We are also asking that as when the new administration comes on board, we should be carried along in order for things pertaining to the FCT to go smoothly for the benefit of everybody. “We are also pleading that the new minister of the FCT should be a native of the FCT. He should be chosen from any of the nine ethnic groups in Abuja, so that our rights will be protected. If we have a minister from the FCT, he will understand our problems and fashion out proper means to solve them without threat to the lives of anybody in the territory,” he said.
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