PROTOCOL:

Distinguished invited Stakeholders, I heartily and most sincerely welcome you all to this important meeting.

I believe most of us here are quite familiar with the circumstances under which I assumed office about three years ago. To God Almighty be the glory.

All over the world, Local Government has ultimately become inseparable from the day to day life of the citizens in terms of their involvement in the overall social and economic development of the grassroots as against its traditional role of mere maintaining law and order. This highlights the significant and demanding responsibilities of Local Government. It is thus important to state the primary functions of Local Government based on the provisions of the Constitution. These include, but not limited to, the followings:

Construction and maintenance of feeder roads, drainages, culverts, urban streets etc.
Provision and maintenance of health facilities such as primary healthcare centres, maternity homes, dispensaries as well as refuse dumps for refuse disposals.
Provision and maintenance of health education, public health inspection services, maintenance of public conveniences like cemeteries, toilets, abattoirs etc
Provision and maintenance of basic educational facilities such as schools, libraries, and adult education facilities.
Provision and maintenance of social amenities such as water, rural electrification and television viewing centres,among others.

The functions listed above are expected to be carried out by every performing Local Government Council Administration as mandated by the country’s Constitution.

I believe, the best and most objective way you can measure peoples’ success, is by their performance:
Did they do what they are expected to do and/what they said they were going to do?
Did it have a positive impact on the problems or Issues?

We were inaugurated at a time of deep-seated political acrimony to the detriment of the growth of our society. With a herculean cut out for us, we set out to work to return the polity to a system of tolerance that thrives in an environment of mutual respect and harmony; and to also restore public trust through transparency, openness and partnership.

Upon assumption of office, we adopted an agenda which demonstrated our willingness to bridge the partisan divide; showing we can work cooperatively towards making progress, rather than posturing strength through stubbornness and absolutism. In doing so, we have been able incentivize our efforts toward finding more progress and reducing division. We recognize that people may not agree on fundamental principles and values. Yet, a way forward can always be found, but it requires cooperation, compromise, and common ground. Today, more than ever before, we are more united in our quest to rebuild our society and the trust of our people. As we all know, robust and inclusive political engagement at the local government level foster democracy through political participation from the populace.
For instance, we successfully resolved the Pandagi Chieftaincy Tussle which had lingered for fifteen years unresolved. Today, the people of the Community are living in peace and harmony together.
We have also set up a Committee of 9-Members to wade into the Hamlet Head tussle in Chappu community of the Council. The Committee will be inaugurated to start its assignment as soon as the ongoing strike in the Area Councils and LEA is called off.

Esteemed stakeholders, Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) declares that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. We proactively and pragmatically set out to tackle headlong the ominous security challenges the Council faced – a situation which was so terrible that residents were relocating out of Abaji Area Council to other places. Kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes were then the order of the day.

We embarked on reinvigorating/reforming the vigilante and hunter groups we met on the ground for better result.

Adequate steps were also taken to boost the morale, efficiency and effectiveness of the conventional security personnel on the ground as well. With God Almighty on our side, and through the active support of critical stakeholders, our people can now sleep with their eyes closed, as activities of bandits, kidnappers and other insecurity agents have been brought under control.

To ensure the sustainability of our efforts, we were able to successfully lobby and obtained the approval of the Hon. Minister of FCT for the establishment of two new Police Divisions in the Council, one each at Gawu and Yaba, respectively. Construction work on the two projects are on the verge of completion presently. In addition, we furnished the Police Post at Gawu to create a conducive working environment for the men and officers deployed there.

Furthermore, we also provided a number of empowerment initiatives including the following:
Occasional procurement and distribution of grains and other staple food stuff to residents to cushion the hardship caused by the sudden unbearable hike in prices of every commodity, as a result of Federal Government economic policies.

Training and certification of youths/farmers on Banana and Plantain Micro-propagation techniques in conjunction with Department of Science, Technology & Innovation, Education Secretariat of FCTA. We gave each of the 55 graduates of the program the sum of N100,000.00 to start their respective banana and plantain farms.

Sponsorship of over 300 residents (including unemployed youths and women) for training in various skills, trade and vocations at the Bwari facility of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Empowerment Scheme. Abaji is the only Area Council in the FCT to have received such a large concession.

Collaborating with relevant authorities and ensuring that our people are the largest beneficiaries of the Federal Government Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme to the Most Vulnerable Households amongst the Six FCT Area Councils. Under this Empowerment Scheme, 3,450 Households from the Council were each given a Debit Card containing the sum of N47,000.00 only per beneficiary.

In addition, we proactively demonstrated the tenacity and unwavering commitment to implementing people- oriented projects, policies, and programs aimed at redefining local government administration. For want of time, I would just list some of the rural projects we have executed to date, namely:

Rural Roads:
Reconstruction of Existing Roads in the Council, including complete Asphalt Overlay of Gbakya – Low Cost Road, Abaji
Construction of 1.7km Sabon-Tasha Road, including 200m length of Trapezoidal Drainage by Cattle Market, Abaji
Rehabilitation and maintenance of some existing roads such as Pandagi – Nanda – Gbako Road; Abaji – Gbakya – Federal Lowcost Road; Naharati – Tupa Road; Agyana – Gbogbodo – Manderegi Road; Nuku Road etc.
Construction of Drainage and Culvert along South-East Primary School to Cemetery Fence
Construction of Trapezoidal Drainage from Toto Road through Jikaguta House to Sabon-Gari Street
Refilling of Nanda Retaining Wall
Construction of U-Shape Concrete Drainage along the Council Secretariat Road and Upgrading of the Secretariat Gate and fence
Construction of 600mm Diameter Double Cell Ring Culvert along Abattoir Road among others.

Water Scheme:
Provision of Solar-powered Boreholes at Area Command and in ten other communities across the ten wards
Rehabilitation and reticulation of Nuku Community Water Scheme, among others.

Electricity Projects:
Procurement and Installation of 25 Solar-Powered Street Lights across the Ten Wards of the Council
Procurement and Installation of 300/33KVA and 500/11KVA transformers at Sabon-Tasha and Manderegi, respectively
Procurement and Installation of 2N0 200/33KVA in Nuku community
Repairs and maintenance of vandalized and broken Transformers at Yaba, Junior Staff Quarters, ECWA Church and Low-cost among others.

In addressing power challenges faced by residents of the Council, we took the bull by the horn by approaching AEDC and reaching an understanding with them to enable the Council fund the repairs and maintenance of the power transmission line from Gwagwalada Substation to the Council. As I speak, the powerline to the Council is working and residents can now enjoy electricity, whenever is available.

Health and Environment:
In the area of provision and maintenance of health facilities and refuse disposals, we make bold to say that we have performed credibly well given the amount of resources at our disposal.
For instance, we renovated and resuscitated a number of clinics and primary healthcare centres such as Gigbe PHC, Gawu PHC, Kpache PHC etc.
In addition, we also carried out series of medical outreaches to deepen and expand the scope of our primary healthcare delivery services across the length and breadth of the Council, including free eye care and surgery services, routine immunization programs, program aimed at preventing Mother – to – Child transmission of HIV/AIDS etc.
We equally procured and distributed a wide range of medical equipment to our Clinics and PHC Centres to improve the quality of service delivery.
We procured and distributed Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) to pregnant women and nursing mothers to control the incidences of malaria
Most importantly, we successfully completed the construction and fencing of an 80-Bed Capacity Hospital for Women and Children in Abaji town. The furnishing and equipping part of this important project has started in earnest and will be completed very soon for service.
Refuse disposals has received significant attention through a sustain program of regular evacuation and disposal of solid waste from designated and undesignated dump sites. We were also regularly involved in evacuation and proper burial of unclaimed human corpses whenever this occur.

In recognition of the fact that the main occupation of our people is farming, we have been providing them with series of support and incentive annually, starting from free farm inputs such as fertilizer, improved seeds & seedlings to extension services, including provision of free vaccines and drugs to those involve in animal husbandry. In addition, we are proposing to procure atleast a mechanical tractor and hand-driven tractor to enhance access to cheap tractor service by farmers this year.

Education:
On the educational front, we have not shy away from our constitutional duty of participation in primary and adult education. Beside the regular payment of teachers’ remuneration, we were also involved in schools’ infrastructural development.
For instance, we constructed one block of two classrooms at Nomadic Primary School, Yaba.
In addition, we also procured and distributed school furniture and instructional materials to primary schools across the ten wards. We equally constructed an Office and Toilet at Nomadic Primary School.
Marking a significant milestone in encouraging academic pursuits, we have reinstituted an Education Scholarship Fund for Abaji Area Council students struggling to pay tuition fees in Nigerian tertiary institutions to help ease the financial burden on their parents.
Other educational and youth empowerment programs we have undertaken include payment of JAMB, WAEC and NECO fees for underprivileged students. This initiative is aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder any students from accessing quality education and exam preparation resources, as this is very essential for students to be well-prepared for these landmark examinations to increase their chances of success and secure admission into their desired higher institutions. In a world that has become knowledge-based and highly competitive, the initiative is also aimed at preparing our students for a better tomorrow.

In addition, we are also building a 750-capacity Ultra-Modern ICT Centre in Abaji town just behind the Council Secretariat, the first of its kind in the FCT. Upon completion, this project will also serve as JAMB CBT Centre, where students of Abaji and other places could comfortably to take JAMB and other computer-based examinations.

We have also not relent in our pursuit to ensure the FCT University of Science and Technology take-off in our time and as soon as possible. Through series of contacts and pressure on the Hon. Minister, a Committee is now in place to fast-track the completion and operationalization of this important educational project.

Let me also announce other community- driven projects we scheduled to kick-start very soon including the construction of Women Development Center and an Ultra-Modern Town Hall. These projects will serve as both conference hubs and a revenue generators for the Council.

General Administration:
Administratively, we have initiated a number of far reaching measures to reposition the Council to carryout out our programs and policies, namely:
Enactment of Bye-laws for the conduct of both public and private businesses in the Council. It is the first since the inception of Abaji Area Council and we give glory to God. The significance of the Bye-laws in reinvigorating the Abaji business environment cannot be over-emphasized. The Bye-laws has now been gazetted and ready to be put to use, after a public presentation, the moment the ongoing strike action across the Six Area Councils is suspended.
Furthermore, the Council has recently joined the fold of Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global initiative of 77 countries and 150 Local Governments, representing more than 2 billion people and about 1,000 Civil Society Organizations. The objective of OGP initiative is to promote transparency, participation, inclusive and accountable governance among members. In addition, our membership of the Organization will help the Council access international donor agencies supports, funds and interventions in critical socio-economic needs of our people.

We have also established an Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) in the Council. This is the first time Abaji Area Council is having such unit in place. The Unit is saddled with the responsibility of educating and sensitizing the public on corruption and related offences, monitor budget implementation in the Council and promote ethics and integrity through enforcing compliances with Ethic Codes in the Council, among other functions.

Challenges:
The past three years have not been without their fair share of challenges, prominent which was the lack of adequate resources to execute a good number of our lofty programs and projects.

The economic downturn occasioned by Federal Government Policy of complete removal of fuel subsidy and the attendant high cost of living and materials has affected our capacity to implement our programs and projects. The high cost of materials significantly altered our budget performance and negated our capacity do as much as we would have desired do with our thin resources.

This high cost of living has also brought justifiable demand for higher wages/salaries by workers to cushion the prevailing economic hardship. However, without commensurate improvement in Area Councils earnings to meet this reasonable demand of workers, the situation has created serious impasse resulting in the ongoing strike by staff of Area Councils and LEAs. I am happy to state that, critical stakeholders are currently working hard to find a way out of the dilemma.

Conclusion:
Dear esteemed stakeholders, we brought onboard, the principle of consistency and special commitment to keep to our words and promises even in the turbulence of politics. We see these attributes of integrity and commitment as a way of life and we are determine to keep to it, which is why we have come before you today to humbly present ourselves as well as request your endorsement to serve the Council for another term of office.

It is not only about making commitments to persons and communities, but it is mostly about remembering those commitments and weaving around the power pedestal and transmitting these commitments to policy formulations of Government, which we have been doing in the last three years. Moreso, most of our transformative agenda, programs and policies listed above are still fresh and need time to be carefully nurtured to maturity to be able to make the desired positive impacts. It is therefore my hope and prayer that our quest to serve a second term of office would receive your overwhelming endorsement, Insha’Allah.

Speaking at the ceremony, The Executive Chairman Abaji Area Council respectfully made his intention known to the stakeholders that he has submitted his letter of intention to run for the 2026 Abaji Area Council Chairman under platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), stating that his decision was based on calls from various political and other interest groups across the 10 political ward in Abaji Area Council urging him to recontest at the poll.

Abaji Area Council Stakeholders across the 10 political ward warmly endorsed Honourable Abubakar Umar Abdullahi to recontest for Abaji Area Council chairman, indicating that AUA enjoys massive support from the good people’s of Abaji Area Council.

Thank you for all your supports, cooperation, understanding and prayers. And above all, thank you for your attention now. I remain your faithful servant. He concluded.

PC Gidi Balugi

Abu Nigeria CPS to the Executive Chairman, AAC
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