29th October, 2014
President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday in Abuja promised indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) a ministerial slot in the next administration.
Jonathan made the pledge when a delegation of traditional rulers from the FCT paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa.
The President also promised the territory a permanent secretary slot in the federal civil service as requested by his guests.
He said “people here are qualified to be ministers and permanent secretaries. When the party is thinking of nominating ministers after the elections, you should be able to get a minister.”
Jonathan described Abuja indigenes as the most precious citizens of the FCT, who he said did not have any other ancestral home to run to in the event of a major crisis.
While saying that his administration would always work with them, the President assured the monarchs of his commitment to infrastructure development in the area.
He stressed the need for expansion of the territory’s infrastructure base in view of the influx of visitors and settlers into Abuja, which according to him, was originally designed for less than 500,000 residents.
He reminded them that the PDP needed their votes in the forthcoming elections to ensure continuity and fulfilment of his promises.
In a remark, PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, also urged the monarchs to convert their show of support for the President into votes during the 2015 presidential election.
Muazu equally urged them to help maintain peace in their domains before, during and after the elections.
In his remark, the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Baba Yunusa, commended the Jonathan administration for its numerous development projects and programmes in the FCT
Yunusa assured the President of 100 per cent support of Abuja royal fathers and thanked him for appointing Bala Mohammed as FCT Minister.
Yunusa, who is the Chairman of FCT Council of Traditional Rulers, commended the FCT minister for resettling many indigenes of Abuja who were displaced from their ancestral homes by government’s development projects.
The monarch, however, said some development challenges like inadequate road network, particularly the overburdened Abuja-Nyanya Road, among others, needed attention.
The Minister of the FCT, Mr Bala Mohammed, and the Minister of State for FCT, Mrs Olajumoke Akinjide, accompanied the delegation on the visit.