Abuja, the Nigeria FCT is by all standards one of the fastest growing capital cities of the world. Any long time resident of the new city will admit that Abuja has metamorphosed from one level of development to another under the many administrations. As a matter of fact, all the successive Ministers of the FCT have in one way or another tried to carve Abuja into a capital city of splendour, conveniently modern and liveable for residents and visitors. They do that by trying to mainstream the Abuja Master plan into their individual leadership style and vision and of course, within the given political and social context. It must be taken into consideration that developing a modern capital city is not a one-off thing. It is a stage by stage construction process requiring the patience, contribution and cooperation of all stakeholders to get things right.
There is the need for careful planning, even if the master plan is without error, experimentation was and is still necessary because of the changing times. Every successive administration of the FCT have had to face these challenges and attempts have been made to deal with them in certain ways and under certain strategies reflecting the outlook of life and administrative style of the respective Ministers. This City was envisaged as a new capital city that will be liveable, comfortable, healthy and naturally rich for urban development. An assessment of the performance of a Minister of the FCT should begin in the areas of specific efforts at influencing contexts in which the dream that necessitated the discovery of Abuja as a capital city can be aided. By and large, the dynamic and pragmatic approach of senator Bala Mohammad towards enlisting Abuja as one of the best 20 capital cities of the world by 2020 remains outstanding.
Unlike many of his predecessors, Senator Bala Mohammad appears to be a very practical man, dealing with situations as they come. He is, in a manner of speaking, expedient. He has proved himself to be a man of exceptional integrity, wise and humble. There is a saying, and I quote,”deep rivers flow with silent majesty, shallow brooks make the most noise”. This is one Minister with a unique style, a consistency of character, commitment and integrity that is unique to him. He has also exhibited a remarkable self-restraint and respect for the rule of law as is evident in the many decisions he had had to rescind at the instances of court injunctions, even when he was convinced such decisions of his support the economy and structural development of the FCT. He is both soft and tough. He came on board as a purely administrative person unlike many of his predecessors, who were Engineers, Surveyors or Architects, and has set new standards in FCT governance. One of his unparalleled achievements is his administration’s ability to cope with the increasing growth rate of the city.
His progressive transits programmes, library and education services, public works, recreation and parks, corporate support are all distinctive. This administration has also shown a responsible and forward –looking fiscal management and in the process attracting an impressive array of economic development coupled closely with the pursuit of a superior quality of life for residents. Above all, he is distinctive in running an open and transparent government that is inclusive, participatory and efficient, and recogniswes the necessity of synergy with the area councils. He is outstanding because he is a leader, who listens and is ready to learn about issues and as such strategically deploys resources to meet the needs of the city, present and future needs of the city.
There is no denying the fact the fuss over the abuse of the Abuja master plan has gained currency in many elite circles. The obvious reasons stem from greed for land acquisition, reckless placement of structures, blockage of central sewage channels due to over-population and inappropriate land use. The reasons and instances of violation of the master plan are innumerable. The general attitude of indiscipline is at play in Abuja and a seriousness of united action and resolve by all the stakeholders with a view to making amends is needed. To place the onus of trend reversal on the minister alone is like under-estimating the potency of this deep-rooted anomaly. Nonetheless, I think the review of the development regulations towards removing vestigial elements as the Senator Bala Mohammad administration has done is a step in the right direction. For a city ascribing to urban greatness, the FCT roads and traffic situation was deplorable but now we see different. Then again, Abuja is populated with a good portion of the rich and famous, who shows little or no regard for regulations. A political will on the part of the Minister to combat such excesses is also a key indicator of his protection of the Abuja Master plan. The pragmatic handling of the garbage situation and reconstruction of drainages, demolition of illegal structures and removal of debris in the FCT are all positive efforts compatible with sustaining the master plan.
Finding a solution to the chronic Housing challenge of the FCT is a delicate issue but that one too has not escaped Senator Bala’s pragmatic strides. The land swap policy, opening of the phase IV of the FCC, streamlining of business permit and land allocation processes for accelerated mass housing programme under the Senator’s regime spell good prospects for solving the housing problem.
Remarkable achievements in the provision of water, crime and environmental management, citizen morale building, sustenance and advancement on the successes that the city has achieved from the past, the Abuja light rail project, the resilience against terrorism amongst many other direct impact projects are feats for which, the Senator deserves commendation. Senator Bala has shown an outstanding commitment to the Abuja vision, values and goals. His phased and dynamic plans and articulated management of the City’s resources shows a clear direction of his intentions and dedication to the goal of turning Abuja into a capital city of reckoning in 2020. Even though like some of his predecessors, he is being misunderstood and criticised for some of the policies, the goings-on in the FCT now indicates that the Senator knows his onions and is making progress with them.
Musa Wada wrote from Abuja