The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minster, Bala Abdulkadir
Mohammed, has made a futile attempt at justifying the allocation of N4bn
in the 2013 budget to the building the First Ladies Mission office
complex in Abuja.
The Minister said that Decree No. 6 of 1976 which created Abuja
simultaneously created the Federal Capital Development Authority with
duty and responsibilities to plan, design, provide the infrastructure
and construct public buildings as well as services to the entire 8,000
square kilometers of the FCT.
Mohammed, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on
Information Management Systems, Hajiya Jamilah Tangazah, recalled that
the African First Ladies Peace Mission was created in 1996 to promote
peace and harmony in Africa after the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women
and its subsequent declaration in Zimbabwe during which the Organization
of African Unity (now African Union) keyed in.
He said that since its inception in 1996, the organization has been
debating issues of relevance to African women, children and youths, such
as social justice, the environment, and human rights, especially gender
equality.
The Minister said that as part of its remit to live up to its
international obligations, the Federal Government accommodates certain
international bodies just like it is done across the globe; adding that
every year, the cost of rent or accommodation for such bodies tends to
be above one billion Naira.
According to him, in Abuja this obligation is transferred to the FCT
administration and as part of its efficiency measures, the FCT
administration saw in the proposed headquarters of the African First
Ladies Peace Mission building an opportunity to save cost by using the
AFLPM building to serve multiple roles in providing office accommodation
as well as housing not just for the African First Ladies Peace Mission
but to other international bodies as well.
Mohammed noted that from the foregoing, it can be seen that by
proposing to build the AFLPM edifice, a publicly-listed building, the
FCT administration is only acting in accordance with its duties and
responsibilities as envisioned by the law.
The Minister emphasized that the FCT Administration has submitted the
budget to the National Assembly to debate on it and give its final
approval based on the requisite needs of the nation’s capital as
dictated by local, national and international postulations.
He expressed happiness that based on these, the administration is
convinced that the robust public debate that erupted on aspects of the
proposed FCT 2013 budget will be done and guided with the fervour of a
people who are conscious of their historical and current roles and are
proud of their tradition not only as national, but as regional and
continental leaders.
Reviewing these remarks this afternoon, a political analyst said that
the Minister is simply blowing smoke. “The question is: How do you
spend N4billion, in a continent as poor as Africa, on one building that
has no practical purpose, and will only be used once in many years by
Africa’s most pampered and most insensitive group of people?”.
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