nation0428

THE NATION TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 35
ABUJA REVIEW
FCT inaugurates
children’s home
THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Administration has inaugurated a
children’s home cum transit camp for
orphans, motherless babies and abandoned
babies in Gwako community in Gwagwalada
Area Council, Abuja.
The administration said the home which is
equipped with skills acquisition facilities, is
capable of transforming the lives of the teeming
youths and vulnerable children who
roam the streets of Abuja as beggars or destitute.
Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke
Akinjide who inaugurated the homeý said
FCT residents are yet to see the end of the
current administration because it still has
more to give to Nigerians.
She added that even as the new government
takes power, it should continue from
where the present administration stopped
and not allow all the laudable projects of the
outgoing government to waste.
She said: “The vision for a facility that will
cater for the welfare of this vulnerable segment
of our population, mainly orphans,
motherless and abandoned babies, is in keeping
with the transformation agenda of the
outgoing administration.
“The inauguration of this project therefore
underscores the many positive projects which
have been executed by this administration
as it draws the curtain over an eventful tenure.
“The home being inaugurated today is, indeed,
only one of such projects and is designed
to pass on the torch of positive legacy
to the FCT residents and the incoming administration.
“Governance is continuous. The FCTA remains
grateful for your sacrifices and urges
you to remain resolute and give the same
loyalty and support to the incoming administration”
Akinjide thanked residents for their support
and partnership as they work together
to improve the welfare of residents and to
advance the fortunes of the territory; saying
that the facility aims at alleviating the plight
of children who, for no fault of theirs, found
themselves on the unfortunate segment of
our society.
“It will serve as an educational as well as a
skill acquisition centre for the home mates
while benefiting the host community. We
are certainly hopeful that it will give these
children a solid start in life.
“The quality of care given to our children
irrespective of the circumstances of their
birth, to a large extent, determines the value
of their adulthood and by extension will
impact on the future of our nation.
“It is therefore for this reason that the home
has been structured to provide an enabling
environment for these vulnerable children
to develop self-reliance and self-confidence
and to be mentally adjusted to fit into the
larger society in order to compete favourably
with their peers in the future.”
She, therefore, urged managers of the facility
to ensure that the purpose of the home
is fully realised.
From Grace Obike
In her speech, Special Guest of Honour and
Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab
Maina, commended the FCTA for the “dynamic
project” just as she called on wellmeaning
Nigerians to support the project.
She added that in other climes, citizens do
not wait for government to provide everything
for them.
In her welcome address, Secretary, Social
Development Secretariat, Mrs. Blessing
Onuh, said the ceremony marked the completion
of a project that is capable of transforming
the lives of teeming youths and vulnerable
children who roam the streets of the
FCT as destitute and beggars.
“This centre is meant to be a transit camp
to cater for their immediate needs. The administration
thought it wise to provide them
with skills while they wait to be re-united
with their families,” she said.
She noted that it was at some point like a
burden for this administration due to large
influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs)
into the FCT but “we thank God for a successful
completion of this project. We hope
that we will raise our future entrepreneurs
as we have provided various training facilities
to meet up with the growing demand of
global trend.”
The inauguration, which was attended by
Hajia Maina, Olajimoke and other government
officials, was the brainchild of the Social
Development Secretariat and funded by
the FCT Administration. The project comprises
six classrooms that can take at least 50
people each for theoretical learning; an administrative
block, workshops in various
skills ranging from fashion designing and
tailoring, shoe making and design, hairdressing
and salon technique, welding and
wrought iron design and catering and
confectionaries; 200-capacity multi-purpose
hall and recreational facilities such as synthetic
five aside football pitch and a volley
ball court and hostel facilities that can accommodate
about 1, 000 people.
The hall, according to Onuh, can be utilised
for several events ranging from business,
workshops, conventions and reception,
among others through which the centre can
be self-sustained; as they intend to maintain
it through internally-generated revenue.
She called on individuals and organisations
to partner with the Social Development Secretariat
in achieving this objective.
She, however, warned youths who roam
the streets of the FCT that begging is prohibited
in FCT. Onuh urged them to take advantage
of the opportunity provided by government
to improve their well-being.
She also urged FCT residents not to encourage
begging by giving alms to beggars on
the street.
“They should instead make such contributions
to existing aid programmes carried out
by our churches, mosques and the centre
whenever they wish to support the welfare
of these vulnerable groups,” she said.
‘The inauguration of this project therefore
underscores the many positive projects which
have been executed by this administration as
it draws the curtain over an eventful tenure.
The home being inaugurated today is, indeed,
only one of such projects and is designed to
pass on the torch of positive legacy to the FCT
residents and the incoming administration…
Governance is continuous. The FCTA
remains grateful for your sacrifices and
urges you to remain resolute and give
the same loyalty and support
to the incoming administration’
•From left: Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide; Minister of State for Agriculture
and Natural Resources, Asabe Asmau Ahmed and Minister of Water Resources, Sarah
Ochekpe during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
•From left: Former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipire Sylva; Secretary to the Government
of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Mrs Ibukun Odusote during the
Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee meeting at the Banquet Hall Presidential
Villa in Abuja. PHOTOS: AKIN OLADOKUN
•Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi (middle); Deputy
Corps Marshal, Administration, Chidi Nwachukwu (left) and Deputy Corps Marshal, Operations,
Adei Abu at the strategic session with 313 Commanding Officers in Abuja
PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE
‘Give us good feeder roads’
RESIDENTS of Dutse Sokale in Bwari
Area Council of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) have appealed to the
chairman of the council, Hon. Peter Yohanna
to construct feeder roads in the community,
in order to alleviate their suffering.
Mr. Simon Chukwu, one of the residents
who spoke with our reporter lamented that
state of the roads in the community is unbearable,
as most of the residents suffered
immeasurably.
According to Chukwu, residents of the community
have made countless appeals to the
leadership of the council to provide
infrastructural development for the people
in the community, but not much has been
done in that regard, apart from the improved
power supply.
“We really need good feeder roads in this
community, because, without it, life is unbearable.
Car owners in this community repair
their cars on weekly basis because of the
bad roads and they have no choice, since they
From Gbenga Omokhunu
live in the community.
“Whenever it rains, the entire community
will be in mess, to the extent that you will
not be able to identify where the road is or
where the pits which gully erosion has constructed
are. Now that the rain is about to
start, we are afraid because of the challenges
we will experience,” he said.
Isah Ishiaku, a motorcycle operator in
Dutse Sokale explained that due to the deplorable
state of the roads in the community,
most of them get scared to ply the roads
when it rains, because they often fall off from
their bikes with passengers.
“The truth is that the best thing the chairman,
Hon. Peter Yohanna can do for us now
is for him to give us good roads in this community.
If the roads are constructed, we will
have peace of mind to carry our passengers
to their destinations without fear of falling
into the mud,” he said.