From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Wednesday threatened to come up with more severe measures against open grazing in Abuja. It said the havoc caused by grazing within the Abuja Capital City, especially parts where citizens live is unacceptable.
The Administration stated that despite several attempts made to solve the problem and restrict movement of cattle in the city, there were reports of disturbances and damage being caused by open grazing in the city.
Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, while briefing newsmen, said steps were being taken to check against the menace.
Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Agency, Hassan Abubakar, earlier in the year, stated that the the decision of the FCT Administration to ban open grazing came after a ban on open grazing by the Northern Governors’ Forum. He had described the practice as outdated.
According to him, five locations were created for cattle grazing in Abaji, Kwali and Kuje Area Councils respectively.
At Wednesday’s media briefing, FCT Administration lamented that despite the payment of the total sum of N12,055,231,626.39 as electricity bills to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for the year 2021, the Abuja city still suffers poor electricity.
Shuaibu said FCT Administration is not indebted whatsoever to AEDC, adding that it has become worrisome that the services of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has remained poor in the city.
He said: “So far, a total sum of N2, 055,231,626.39 (Two billion, Fifty-Five million, Two Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty Six Hundred and Thirty-Nine Kobo) only has been paid to AEDC for the year 2021 alone by the FCT Administration. Presently, the FCTA is not indebted whatsoever to the AEDC.
“It is expected that with the huge investment and cooperation of the FCTA to ensure smooth running of its services, the AEDC will efficiently provide adequate power to serve the vital infrastructure in the city. Unfortunately, the failure of the AEDC to live up to their responsibilities is unjustifiably mistaken for lack of performance by the FCT Administration.”
In the meantime, FCT Administration’s Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), has announced that it generated N1.7 billion in the last three years.
Director of DOAS, Babagana Adams, in a chat with newsmen, said with the challenge of COVID-19, the department, from May 2019 to December, 2021, generated the revenue that it could not generate in the last three years, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
He said: “Since my assumption of office in May 2019, my first six months in office we realized the revenue that the department could not generate in three years, 2016, 2017 and 2018. We raised an amount of three hundred and thirty-three million within the period. We generated five hundred million naira in 2019 which is more than the past years, three hundred and thirty-three million naira.
“In 2020 there was a total shutdown of government offices and our activities were affected because of coronavirus, and at that period the department generated N600 million to the coffers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA). 2021 that is in progress, the department raised N750 million.”