Confusion, as FCT Minister stalls inauguration of secretaries

Fred Itua, Abuja

There is confusion at rhe Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA), following the purported refusal by the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello to inaugurate secretaries for the six Mandate Secretariats ten months after President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly gave his approval.

Sources said President Buhari in February this year, upon a request from the FCT Minister , approved the appointments of Secretaries for the Six Mandate Secretariats .

The Mandate Secretariats to be headed by the secretaries in capacities like commissioners in the state are Area Council Services, Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Health and Human Services, General Counsel/Secretary Legal Services, Social Development, and Transportation Secretariat.

Residents of the Territory have attributed the refusal of the Minister to inaugurate the secretaries as largely responsible for the failing infrastructure in the Abuja.

Sources at the FCTA across the seven Secretariats, told newsmen that tempers are already rising among management and staff over the refusal of the Minister to do the needful in that respect .

“What the Minister is doing since February , is like a State Governor refusing to appoint Commissioners to see to smooth administration of Ministries and Implementation of policy direction of government .

“None of the FCT Ministers before the current one created the type of leadership vacuum and administrative bottleneck being experienced across the six Mandate Secretariats .

“He did the same thing between 2015 and 2016 when he was first appointed as FCT Minister by delaying inauguration of such highly required secretaries till November 2016 a year after his own inauguration as Minister .

“The situation at hand now is even worse , because the Minister was was sworn into office again in August 2019 and yet to inaugurate Mandate Secretariats Secretaries 14 months after,” a staff lamented.

The situation according to another management staff who craved for anonymity , is even compounded with the absence of a coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) , who is expected to oversee the management of Federal Capital City .

“Had it been the coordinator is appointed and inaugurated, agencies such as the Abuja Environmental Protection Board ( AEPB), Abuja Development Control, would have been carrying out their functions very effectively .

“Look out how filthy the city is with refuse dumps here and there, street light not functioning , street urchins and beggars returning and so on and fort,” he queried .