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By Fred Itua, Abuja
Former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, successfully ended her tenure on May 29, 2023, after spending the maximum term the law of the land allows.
She was sworn in by former President Muhammadu Buhari on August 21, 2019, as the minister of state for the territory.
Mrs. Aliyu had recorded far-reaching accomplishments in strategic areas that the residents of FCT will not forget in a hurry.
In primary healthcare, which was under her purview, she raised a new primary healthcare steering committee to improve service delivery in the various PHCS across the 62 wards of the six area councils.
The committee was also saddled with the responsibility of liaising with local and foreign donors to identify communities that need new Primary Healthcare Centres, and revamping of the existing ones, this initiative brought about the refurbishing of Kuchigoro PHC in Abuja Municipal Area council (AMAC), and another one at Yebu ward of Kwali Area Council. But because she had exhausted her time in office as the law permits, she couldn’t finish all.
During Ramatu’s days in FCT, issue of COVID-19 came, she also coordinated the activities well in all spheres to help curb the spread, and give lifeline to the residents.
In realisation of this, she spearheaded the distribution of monies to a total of 5,054 recipients in the nation’s capital , as part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s Economic Sustainability Plan.
The total includes 3,650 recipients of the Social transfer program and 1,404 recipients of the livelihoods grant. The Social transfer Programme run for a full year, consisting of six cycles.
The beneficiaries received stipends of N20,000.00 every two months, while those under the livelihood grants program had received a one-time payment ranging from N50,000.00 to N135,000.00, depending on their individual circumstances.
Mrs Aliyu efforts were anchored on the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) scheme designed to expand access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants to poor and vulnerable households and firms.
On FCT area councils, the erstwhile minister stopped council chairmen frombloated staffing. In her wisdom, the idea was to address the issue of misappropriation of their monthly allocation, which she said, if not discontinued, would place huge financial burdens on the monthly allocation of the councils.
She said emphasis should be on how to increase revenue that will add to the economy.
The FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) was not an exception, the minister anchored the implementation of various special programmes which include; FCT CARES and off -shoot of the N- CARES scheme programme supported by the world bank which is aimed at providing assistance to over 12,300 families with the support of various agricultural inputs.
Mrs Aliyu birthed Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-ARD project, which is another programme that the secretary had played an important role in making convincing arguments to the FCT Administration executive on the need to key into the various implementation committees.
It had been inaugurated and the World bank which is supporting the initiative, have commended her for its level of readiness for the interventions of the project in addressing issues of land degradation in FCT.
This brought about earmarking of 18 places in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which have been identified for intervention in the first phase of the programmes.
Another critical milestone is the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) project supported by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and African Development Bank (AfDB) of repositioning the livestock sector towards meeting domestic livestock needs as well as exports.
The project with its operational hub situated at Paikon-Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council will create over 10,000 jobs in addition to massive infrastructure development of the community.
This project brought about the continuous engagement with the communities that had helped to enhance peaceful coexistence, which there has never been any major incidence of conflict between the groups due to the outstanding initiative of the secretary.
In area of infrastructure development, Aliyu’s administration revamped the moribund facilities at veterinary clinics and abattoirs
The present stage of abattoirs in the territory attest to the fact that there is a huge improvement in the state of facilities. Water runs 24 hours with the payment of outstanding water bills owed to FCT Water Board, construction of boreholes, renovation of the slaughter halls, construction of incinerator fencing and the abattoirs.
Another testimony of Aliyu’s performance is also visible in various vet clinics especially those of Nyanya, Kuje and Karu that have received solar attention and stocked with quality veterinary drugs.
In life, you always need challenges to fire yourself up, and make more wins. Despite her efforts, She is misunderstood by some people in the FCT, especially those that never see anything good in whatever one does. Head or tail you never win with them.
