City Safety: Etteh Tasks FCTA on Service Delivery, Compliance

 
Mary Nnah

 
Worried by the perpetual darkness on major roads and streets within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at night due to inadequate lighting from street lights, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to Restore Street Lights in Abuja Metropolis.
 

The call came through a Motion brought before the House by the Member representing Eket/ONNA/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, Rep Okpolupm Etteh, during the plenary of Thursday, July 13, 2023.
 

The House urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to “as a matter of urgency restore the street Lights in Abuja Metropolis and ensure maintenance as the Federal Capital and Administrative Headquarters of Nigeria.”
 

According to the Motion, “constant darkness on the major roads and streets in the FCT creates avenues for some criminal-minded elements to perpetrate crime, touting and intimidating of innocent law abiding Nigerians and also makes the city unsafe for residents and visitors.”

 
“Aware that most of the street lights installed on many Highways and streets in the FCT are moribund and not functional. On major roads like Herbert Macaulay Way, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Jabi area, Aminu Kano Crescent, Ahmadu Bello Way and Independence Avenue; which houses the Three Arms Zone, National Assembly, Supreme Court and the Presidential Villa. Also from the Federal Secretariat to Louis Edet House, (Police Headquarters), the street lights are comatose.”

 
“Further aware that despite the prevailing darkness in most areas of the Federal Capital Territory at night, there is minimal and inadequate presence of stationary policemen or police patrol vans along some dangerous stretches of roads and under the bridges,” the House maintained.
 

The House also raised concern that “the Federal Capital Territory; the nation’s capital, ought to have been maintained with modern facilities and should have alternative sources of power Like standby generators at strategic positions on the main roads, as a backup power supply in cases of power outage.”
 

Before adjourning its plenary to Tuesday, July 18, 2023, by 11:00 am, the House, in its resolution, mandated the Committee on FCT, when constituted, to ensure implementation.