FCT AND REWARD FOR HARD WORK

Nothing more demonstrates the phrase that “hard work pays” than the recent reappointment of Malam Muhammad Musa Bello as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for another four years tenure.

Muhammad Bello’s reappointment is a confirmation that there is indeed a shift in the trajectory and reward system of the present administration headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, from cronyism which used to be the major consideration for who occupies what political office, to the morally and universally acceptable concept of competence and performance.

There is a generally agreed concept that any system that does not reward hard work is setting itself up for failure. Also, a system that prioritizes “who you know” over and above competence and capability will simply find itself running round in unending vicious circles.

It is therefore gladdening to see that President Buhari in his wisdom is gradually reversing this trend with the reappointment of Muhammad Bello and nine other Ministers to continue the good work they had started in their various ministries and this act deserves commendation by all well-meaning Nigerians.

Bello’s reappointment gives hope to Nigerians in all walks of life who are toiling and gritting daily to make ends meet in very challenging environment, as well as those who have shunned the amorous pull of corruption and self-aggrandizement, that their acts of dedication and uprightness will not go unnoticed or unrewarded. It is the very mindset that is required to rescue the country from the stranglehold of corruption and set it on the path of prosperity.

In the case of the FCT Minister, the consensus among most Nigerians residing in the capital city is that he performed beyond expectations in his first four years in office and deserves to be reappointed. And one does not really need to look too hard to understand why they share this sentiment.

Arriving to assume the reins of office on November 11, 2015, Malam Bello was confronted with abandoned or ongoing projects, high level of discretionary powers among pubic officials and flagging service delivery. Coupled with these contending issues, the city was also battling serious traffic gridlocks and in want of sanitation. Confronted by these challenges, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello set out to restore the promise of Abuja, as the quintessential city it was dreamed about by the founding fathers.

From the start, Malam Bello committed himself to transforming governance, strengthening institutions, ensuring compliance with due process and extant laws. He set forth to run an inclusive government as evident in all his appointments. Right from the inner chambers of governance, the minister strove to reflect the colourful ethnic configuration of the country with the appointments of mandate secretaries, political aides and reconstitution of boards of agencies and parastatals, which broadened the democratic space and provided the needed corporate leadership for most of these agencies.

In keeping with his mission to restore faith in the Abuja project, Malam Bello’s administrations pursued programmes and projects designed to bequeath to residents a network of functional first-class road networks and public utilities. Consequently, he elected to resist the temptation to embrace the attraction of high sounding new projects which are soon abandoned.

To redeem the huge cost sunk into most of these vital but abandoned or ongoing infrastructure projects the minister moved to complete them. Today, the added values from the completion of these projects have improved the outlook of the city, energised the Abuja economy and made the city liveable.

Some of the critical road projects are the two 10-lane express roads: namely Kubwa and the Yar’Adua Airport Express Roads. These were delivered with dispatch along with the completion of their pedestrian bridges and interchanges. Similarly, he awarded and completed the Aso Villa Roundabout Bridge capping the Outer Northern Express Road (ONEX) also known as the Kubwa – Zuba Express Road. Similarly, the Bill Clinton Interchange connecting the Airport driveway was also delivered on record time.

Work on other major road projects like the Constitution and Independent Roads traversing the heart of Abuja’s Central Business District as well as the Southern Parkway are coasting home to completion. Similarly, critical portions of the Goodluck Jonathan Express Road have been completed and have helped to ease traffic flow in the city’s main business hub. When delivered these three major arterials will enable entry and exit from the city on dual mode therefore bring a huge relief to residents.

Other master strokes which have struck right notes on the Abuja chord are the construction of various loops, tangent and flanks roads which hitherto locked up the city at major intersections. Their completions have freed the city from bottlenecks at these major road intersections.

Danladi Akilu, Gudu District, Abuja