Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu on Monday pledged the 10th Assembly’s support for the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike in his quest to improve social infrastructures and achieve food security.
Hon. Kalu gave the assurance while addressing a delegation from Kuje Inter-Faith Forum led by its co-convener and Senior Pastor, Kings Palace Church International, Kuje-Abuja, Reverend Sam Ogbodo.
The delegation featured a select leaders of the Kuje Inter-faith Forum, an organisation of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and ethno-religious body committed to the pursuit of peace, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance and development in Kuje municipality.
The group had requested the intervention of the House to provide the Kuje community with basic social amenities such as roads, amongst others.
The Deputy Speaker who expressed delight in the unity that existed amongst the residents of the community, said that their request was in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said: “I really appreciate you for setting up this structure, and I’m promising you that we are going to work with you, to make sure some of the concerns that you raised here today, which are in line with the concerns of Mr. President in Renewed Hope Agenda, which we are aware, involves reforming the economy to achieve a sustain inclusive growth, strengthening national security to promote peace and prosperity, boosting agriculture for food security, unlocking Energy and Natural Resources for sustainable development of the country, enhancing infrastructures, which includes your need for water, which includes you road network that you are looking for. These have been captured by the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President.
“As a Parliament, we have decided that though we are three arms of government, we are one government. The national objective of the executive is the national objective of the legislature. And so we are going to give support to the executive to be able to achieve those agenda they set to achieve for the country.
“That is why our legislative agenda which we unveiled last week, captured all those issues Mr. President advocated in his renewed hope agenda. And your demands are also in our legislative agenda.
“This is my way of saying, you have come to the right place to lay your concerns. Mr. President believes that, if we enhance our infrastructure, which is what you’re seeking for, they will serve as catalysts for growth of not only of Kuje, of FCT, but of Nigeria, and I know the Minister in charge of FCT, he believes in enhancing infrastructures; that, I am sure of, and that I know, that he is going to transform, he is going to interpret the renewed hope agenda as it affects infrastructure in the FCT.
“And you know that, the House of Representatives is there, like the House of Assembly for FCT. So, we are going to give the Minister as well, a great support, to take care of the needs of those from your district, the Kuje districts”.
Earlier, the co-convener, Reverend Ogbodo pleaded that Kuje Area Council should be linked to the pipe-borne water supply system obtainable in Abuja Municipal Area Council and Gwagwalada Area Council, saying, “this will greatly help in improving the health of our people.”
On the state of road infrastructures, Reverend Ogbodo while soliciting for the House intervention, said: “We are also faced with the challenge of road infrastructure, which has become a nightmare. Our main roads are in deplorable conditions and are sometimes, the cause of some road crashes. Our advocacy and outcry led to the award of contract for the dualization/construction of Kuje main road to link Musa Yar’Adua Expressway by the Federal Executive Council at its meeting held on Wednesday 19th January 2022.
“The contract was awarded to Arab Contractors and were on site for a while. Unfortunately, they have since disembarked and we no longer know the fate of the project. We will be glad if your Excellency would use his good office(s) to get this laudable project back on track for the overall benefit of Kuje residents.
“Your Excellency sir, we don’t intend to burg you with an endless list of our challenges but we consider it imperative to add just one more social challenge to the foregoing, and it is the lack of employment and Federal Government scholarship opportunities to our children.
“A good number of our children are unable to secure employment in the civil service after graduating from tertiary institutions, and this is a serious social challenge to us.”
. TheWitness
