Abuja – Two ministerial nominees have decried the poor condition of satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the communities as ‘’eye sore’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nominees, who were among 11 screened by the Senate on Tuesday in Abuja.
Saying that the situation in the towns was disgusting, Suleiman Adamu, an engineer and nominee from Jigawa, said that the Federal Government should focus more on developing the satellite towns because of their proximity to seat of power.
He said that besides making life comfortable for residents, attention should be focused on developing the satellite towns to check insecurity.
“I recently went to Lugbe to visit a friend and I was really surprised at what I saw compared with the glamour that I left in places like Maitama and Garki.
“I think that the focus of the FCDA should be on satellite towns so that they can be habitable and the residents will have a sense of belonging.
“Whoever will emerge as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory should take this seriously because it just doesn’t make sense that we have slumps around.
“I think the administrations should strengthen Satellite Development Agency and inject money into these satellite towns to make them habitable,’’ he said.
Similarly, Mr Ibrahim Jibril, the nominee from Nassarawa State, said that the condition in the satellite towns was worrisome.
He also decried the hardship faced by Abuja indigenes because of inconsistency in policies guiding the FCT over the years.
Jibril said that the FCT policy was anti-poor because “in the past 30 years there has been policy inconsistency. We started with full resettlement to partial resettlement and now integration.
“Until proper policy on resettlement is introduced, the problem will still linger and people will continue to build shanties around town.
“Unless the issue of resettlement is properly addressed, you cannot run away from haphazard development,’’ he said
