Abuja – The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has called on the new chairmen of the six area councils in the territory to evolve a new and dynamic road map for grassroots development.
Bello made the call on Tuesday in Abuja when declaring open a one-day retreat for the council chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors.
According to him, grassroots development was in line with the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration.
He said that such road map should be holistically developed towards transforming FCT grassroots into communities where people can live, work and invest.
The minister explained that if the people at the grassroots must enjoy a new lease of life, the area councils must effectively serve as transmitter stations for government’s change agenda.
“To achieve this, therefore, it is very necessary to strengthen institutional framework for effective service delivery in the area councils.
“The onus to demonstrate good leadership does not fall on the FCT Administration alone but also on you the drivers of the FCT grassroots governance, that is our political council officials,” he said.
He also advised the new council officials to go back to the basics in the areas of environmental hygiene and general cleanliness at the community level.
Bello appealed to the elected officers to instill in the people in their areas, the ethics of hygiene and cleanliness from family unit.
He said without that “whatever that is being done is going to be built on shaky foundations’’.
Also speaking, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr Babatope Ajakaiye, said the retreat was the second of the three capacity building programmes to equip the elected officials for the rigorous job ahead.
Ajakaiye said the significance of the retreat could not be overemphasised because of its focus and theme.
NAN reports that the theme of the retreat is “Road Map for Grassroots Development of the FCT Area Councils in Line with the Federal Government’s Change Mantra”. (NAN)