Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has hailed the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed as an action Minister who has done so much to fast-track the development of the Federal Capital Territory. He made the commendation when a delegation of royal fathers, political and opinion leaders from the six area councils of FCT paid a visit to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to express their unwavering support for the President and his administration.
He described the FCT as one of the most important areas that Mr. President has been supporting through various developmental programmes.
Sambo stated that within a very short space of time, very large areas of FCT have been opened up, developed and transformed. “I want to thank Mr. President that there is no other time than now when we have had such fast-tracking of development that you have provided to us in the FCT. We want to thank you immensely and call on our brothers and sisters to continue to support the administration, support our Minister of FCT.”
He added: “I normally call him the action Minister because we have met several times when Mr. President would ask me to represent him at the commissioning of many projects which we have witnessed here. Hopefully, this will be the first city that we will have railways running here”.
The vice president recollected his past experience about FCT in the early days thus: “I want to share with you that in 1977 when I was doing my Masters, I chose FCT as my thesis area – to develop a brick factory that will assist to fast track development of Abuja. About 10 or 11 years after, about 1987, I was Commissioner in Kaduna State and then the Hilton Hotel was completed and they wrote letters for states to buy shares. My governor sent me as the architect in the council to come and inspect and make recommendations so that Kaduna State can invest.
“And when I came, some roads were all built, the hotel was completed with everything ready; but all around, there were no buildings. It was empty. So, I went and told my Governor Dangiwa Umar, I said your Excellency, these people are not very serious about that development,” he added.
The number two citizen expressed delight that the development of FCT has been taken to a level where it today ranks as one of the best capital cities in Africa with potentials for even greater development.
