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April 29 - May 5, 2019
FCT REPORT Bello takes steps to tackle poverty in Abuja By Austine ELEMUE
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ederal Capital Territory minister, M a l a m Muhammad Bello, has reiterated the administration’s resolve to reduce poverty through widening the scope of sustainable economic activities especially among youth in the nation’s capital. Bello assured that the FCT Administration will continue to implement policies and programmes that will improve employment through training and empowerment of youth and women, thereby exposing them to multiple streams of income in the territory. The minister gave the assurance last week at the graduation ceremony of 28 trainees on carpentry business facilitated by the Abuja Entreprise Agency, AEA. Bello, who was represented by FCT Education Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Liman, said the administration has been promoting the activities of training and empowering the youth to reduce unemployment in Federal Capital Territory. He observed that “although the issue of poverty is complex, as it is multi-dimensional, but AEA is trying to ensure that those youth that do not have jobs get something to do. “And once they set up their businesses, they will begin to employ more people, and fewer people will be on the unemployment scale, that means poverty will be gradually reduced. “Tackling poverty is such a huge and herculean task, and it’s not something that the FCT Administration can do in one or two years. It is a process whereby you put down policies and programmes, to ensure that in the long term poverty is drastically reduced. “That’s why AEA as the flagship of the FCT Administration has always been receiving total support from the
administration in trying to develop the youth in FCT.” Earlier, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AEA, Muhammad Arabi,
disclosed that the agency within three months successfully trained 28 aspiring entrepreneurs in carpentry, which was fully funded by the FCT Administration.
He therefore urged relevant stakeholders to join hands with AEA to ensure that the trainees are adequately supported to succeed in the entrepreneurial
world. He however reiterated the commitment of the agency to intensify measures toward reducing unemployment in the FCT.
Heavy traffic on the Nyanya-Mararaba road in Abuja...Wednesday. Photo: Cityvoix.
Uniabuja NASU elects new officials
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By Ateed YUSUF
t was a happy moment for the staff of University of Abuja who voted massively for Comrade Nasiru Okolo to emerge as the new chapter chairman of the NonAcademic Staff Union of Universities, NASU Speaking to journalists after winning
the keenly contested election, Okolo assured members of the union that his leadership would be based on the constitution of NASU aimed at giving every member sense of belonging. The chairman promised to work with the management of the university with a view to tackling the challenges
facing non-academics more specially security officers. The chairman thanked all members of the union for voting him into the exalted office, just as he promised that he would never betrayed the trust reposed on him. Okolo tasked those who lost the elections to give necessary support
to the new executives, noting that doors would be opened for members to give constructive criticism for the growth and progress of the union. Other members of the exco include Comrade Daniel Emmanuel and Hajia Safiya Hassan, who won the positions of secretary and treasurer, respectively.
5,000 SDP defectors get PDP membership cards in Gwagwalada By Ateed YUSUF
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o fewer than five t h o u s a n d members of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Gwagwalada have received membership card of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after denouncing their membership. Receiving the defectors, the FCT chairman of PDP,
Alh. Ibrahim Biko, tasked the members in the area to unite and work for the progress of PDP, just as he appealed to them not to engage in anti-party activities. Speaking to The Abuja Inquirer, a stalwart and candidate of SPD in the just concluded elections, Alh. Abubakar Giri, said he decided to join PDP early enough to begin
preparation ahead of the 2022 FCT area council elections, adding that PDP had structures in Gwagwalada to win the last election, but lost due to lack of credible candidate. Giri thanked leadership of the party and Senator Philip Aduda for welcoming him and supporters into the PDP family, just as he
described PDP as his former house where he won Gwako ward councillorship election and became the former speaker of Gwagwalada area council. He called on his supporters in Gwagwalada and environs to be law abiding citizens shun political thuggery and other immoral acts.
2019 HAJJ: FCT MPWB holds pre-hajj workshop for officials By Austine ELEMUE
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he Federal Capital Territory Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abuja is to organize a one day workshop for its staff as well as stakeholders for the success of this year’s hajj exercise. Director of the board, Malam Muhammad Bashir disclosed this to members of staff of the board on the strategies introduced to enhance productivity. Bashir disclosed that the workshop that is scheduled to take place on Saturday April 27, 2019 would enable all stakeholders on hajj affairs in the FCT rub minds on the new strategies to enhance successful operation. He said the workshop would examine the challenges and modalities used in various operations and recommend additional strategies to record more successes in the subsequent hajj exercises. The director disclosed that the board had concluded arrangements for the conduct of second phase of its education and orientation exercise for intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj. Bashir said the exercise would also take place on Saturday April 27, 2019 and Islamic scholars have already been mobilized for the exercise at the permanent hajj camp located at Basan Jiwa close to the Nnamdi Azikwe Internatinal Airport, Abuja. He explained that the exercise is part of strategies to enable the intending pilgrims get enlightened on the hajj rites as well as new policies introduced for this year’s hajj by relevant authorities, warning intending pilgrims who are yet to submit their international passport to do so to enable the board commence the process of their travel documents.