‘We have improved sanitation in the past one year’
Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima is the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In this interview, he speaks about his administration’s achievements and challenges as he marked one year in office last week Saturday.
On Saturday, 20th May, 2017, was exactly one year when you took over the mantle of leadership in Kuje. What have you done for the people that voted for you so far?
First of all I have to use this opportunity to thank God almighty who gives us the leadership in Kuje Area Council and by his grace, he spared our lives to witness and celebrate one year in office. When I took oath of office, there were challenges but we have been able to do our best. It is unfortunate that we came and met over 48 litigations against Kuje Area Council but we are able to face the challenges. As I am talking to you, we have tried to ensure that 60 to 70 per cent of them are fought.
We are able to also give some communities attention in the aspect of security. If you can recall sometimes ago, there were cases of kidnappings in Darka and Huni- Gade communities, but we fought and ensured that those brothers and sisters that were kidnapped were all rescued alive through the collaborative efforts of our security agents and the support of the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello.
We have been able to look into the issue of perennial water problem in some communities and lack of electricity. We have drilled some boreholes across the communities, while we provided electricity and security to some of the villages where there were reported cases of armed bandits’ attack.
And we have also rehabilitated the road from Tipper Garage to Secretariat Junction. Some dilapidated primary schools have also received facelift in the time under review.
The contract for sinking of hand pump boreholes across ten wards of the council has been awarded and we have sunk another borehole at Kuje township clinic. So you see, despite our challenges—we cannot even pay staff salaries—as we met liabilities on ground for three months, the little allocation that comes into the council treasury we have been able to ensure that we improve the living standard of our people.
At a point the Minister of FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello, said Kuje was one of the dirtiest area councils. As a result of this, you set up a sanitation task force, has the situation changed now?
The sanitation situation in Kuje Area Council was terrible but honestly speaking, we thank God, as every resident who stays here in Kuje knows very well that things have improved. I have always ensured that every end of the month, there is sanitation exercise where every resident comes out to clean their environment. And apart from that, we have also engaged market traders, shop owners to clean their environment and in an event that anybody who fails to comply, we charge such person to court which is why we set up a mobile court to prosecute such people.
Besides, even before we came up with the monthly sanitation exercise, we had ensured that every week, our head of department for environment mobilized people to go round and evacuate refuse within the metropolis out of the IGR we realized from the council. And I can say that when the minister came to Kuje recently, he testified that Kuje has been better than it was before in terms of cleanliness and I believe as far as my administration is concerned, we will be commended as one of the neatest area councils in the FCT as against what it was before.
We can recall that your council entered into a public private partnership with some firms to upgrade the Kuje main market. What are the people of the council going to benefit from it?
Well, the PPP project was not organized by my administration. It was the previous administration that brokered the deal and since government is a continuous process when I assumed office, I decided to set up a committee to investigate and ensure that everything was in order. Although, I wouldn’t say the agreement was perfect, to be honest, if I were the one, I would have first of all sat down and critically looked at some issues. But it was unfortunate that when I came the private firm that handled the market had already invested a lot of money into the project.
Despite everything, it will give Kuje town a very good look, while the size of the market will entice international investors and I believe that by the time the project is completed, there will be so many advantages to the people of Kuje Area Council. I know very well investors will come and people who want to have a better market will definitely establish business here.