By Salisu Sani-Idris
The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, has expressed satisfaction with the renewed enforcement activities of the FCT Task force on City Sanitation.
Bello, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said the activities of the task force were aimed at ensuring the restoration and maintenance of sanity in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
The minister spoke during an interface with the Heads of Enforcement-related Departments in FCTA, affiliate operational commander and field commanders from various security agencies involved in enforcement activities in the FCT,
Bello said, ”there would be no sanity in the city without enforcement.
”All the demolitions and other forms of enforcement, especially those affecting high profile persons that the Task force did, had no reason for me to intervene.
” Honestly, I appreciate you all for what you are doing. All the demolitions; all the arrests that you have done, no big man could call me to stop you, because they know I don’t do so
“That’s why they don’t talk about it. So, just go and do your work.
“What I’m telling you is exactly the feeling of the Commander- in- Chief also, because we have to enforce.
“Without enforcement, it’s not possible, the difference between us and animals is enforcement simply, and we in the administration have to try our best to help you.”
Earlier, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, said the authorities were really feeling the impact of the task force, as their work was very palpable and appealing to the stakeholders.
According to Adesola, ”this couldn’t have been possible without the political will and support of the FCT Minister, who always wants the right thing to be done.
“I have always been seeing the face of Mr Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister and Head of Task force on City Sanitation, as the faces of all of you.
” So it is good we are seeing you all today. We are really feeling you, because we are seeing the work that you are doing.
“On the service delivery platform, I am always there, and the feedback we received from you is worth encouraging and appealing.
”What we are telling people now is that we have to obey and comply with the law.
” I thank the Minister for receiving you personally; this is to tell you that you have all the moral support, political support and what is left is for you to do more.
” Make sure you deal according to the law, and don’t do anything out of vengeance. Please, we assure you of our total support, financial support or otherwise.”
Also, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji, reassured that the Police and other security agencies involved in the enforcement drive would not relent on working towards maintaining the sanctity of the territory.
He, however, appealed to the FCT Administration to continue to support them to keep the tempo.
Responding, the minister’s aide, Attah, said for the minister to receive the task force showed that they did not disappoint those who chose them from their various security agencies and FCTA departments to do the enforcement work.
Attah added, ”if not for FCT Minister’s strong political will and desire to stand and be very firm on what was right, they won’t do much in their assignment.
” Doing our job, one thing we have discovered is that there are strong beneficiaries of all illegalities and all forms of criminality in the FCT.
“Anywhere we go, to even chase criminals, somebody is benefiting; you chase hawkers, somebody is benefiting; to remove illegal structures, somebody is benefiting and to remove roadside traders, somebody is benefiting.
” Also, to arrest Okada riders somebody is benefiting. And when we step on those big toes, our source of comfort is that our bosses are always there to defend us.”
He thanked the minister for his unwavering support and strong political will they are receiving in carrying out the job.
”Most times we discovered that if not for your strong political will and desire to stand and be very firm on what is right, I don’t think that we will go far at all,”he said.
Attah appealed to the minister and other stakeholders to sustain the support.
“I am very sure we will not disappoint you because our commitment to do what is right certainly knows no bounds.” (NAN)
