The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed has been in office since May 2010 when President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in after the death of his predecessor, Umaru Musa Yar’adua.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) which Senator Mohammed heads as minister is a very important ministry as it represents the executive arm of the government of the Federal Capital Territory, where the capital city, Abuja is located.
The territory is the second largest net recipient of emigration in Nigeria, with an estimated 100,000 people moving to it every year. This population surge is bound to put a lot of strain on the infrastructure and social services in the city. therefore, it requires the FCTA to be ever active in ensuring that the territory can function well as the population continues to grow.
This is why Senator Mohammed put a lot of energy and focus behind ensuring that the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) that connects Abuja to the Northern part of the country through Kubwa, taking it from 55% completion rate in 2011 to 94% completion currently. He also did same by connecting the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) to the Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) which is now a route that links the FCT and Lokoja, from 55% in 2011 to 88% in 2013.
Within the FCT, the Airport Expressway, flyover bridge at Mogadishu Cantonment, access road to the Lower Usuma Dam and roads within the Abuja Central Area are at advanced stages of construction, together with the provisions of engineering infrastructure to Guzape, Idu Industrial, Karimo and Wuye Districts, a fast-growing districts in the city.
focusing on roads and expressways is very necessary, a city of 4 million people growing rampantly needs a good and organized road network lest Abuja becomes like Lagos, the former capital city. It is a good decision to focus on the fact that Abuja has a larger land mass than Lagos and therefore can accommodate more highways.
The FCTA under Senator Mohammed embarked on the construction of the 3rd and 4th phases of the Lower Usuma Dam which will increase water supply into the federal capital.
Besides infrastructure, his administration also sought to bring a revolution to the incomes of the residents of the territory. In 2011, the FCTA launched a scheme called One Village One Product (OVOP) which is designed to empower communities by identifying local products and develop them into globally acceptable competitive products. So far, 165 people in 3 local government areas have been provided with capacity building and processing equipment.
The administration has also provided interactive group counseling to groups, associations and cooperatives with up to 5100 people benefiting over four years. Besides that, it has also organized business clinics where sessions are held with expert facilitators such as lawyers and accountants, and government regulatory agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON). The clinics has recorded a total of 303 people in attendance since 2011 and has been of great benefit to them.
The FCTA also partnered with the United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) to train about 200 people over four years to be able to establish and grow their businesses using online tools and technology at the UNIDO-HPLIFE Centre for Excellence. It also helped train 105 National Youth Service Corps members over the same time period in various entrepreneurial capacity building exercises.
But besides just training, it has established a Microfinance bank, the Kwali Microfinance Bank which has facilitated access to micro-credit and equipment leasing to up to 3000 businesses since its commencement in April 2011.
Another area of achievements for the administration of Senator Mohammed in the FCT is how it has handled land allocations. The importance of landed properties in the FCT cannot be overemphasized, land is to the FCT what oil is to Nigeria, therefore it has to be handled delicately.
The administration of Senator Mohamme successfully handled land swap schemes with construction and engineering companies for the development of emerging districts, Sectors “O” and “N”. It has worked with private sector players for the construction of the Caraway Dallas District with Plethora Ltd, which has so far paid up to 75% of the compensation to the original land owners and for the Abuja Industrial Park being developed by Zeberced Limited, which will sink $200m worth of infrastructure in an $1.6billion investment.
The administration works with private firms like Chicason Group on miss -used development on a 17 hectare plot of land allocated by the FCTA in which the administration will take up 10% equity. The development which will cost $2.7billion will feature hotels, condos, offices and shopping malls.
Senator Mohammed’s legacy project will be the Centenary City, a 1,200 hectare of fascinating development to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Nigeria’s amalgamation, an $18bn entirely private sector-led investment which will include a presidential archive integrated with the new city gates, 260 luxury villas, 256 apartment buildings, 139 office buildings, 313,697m2 of hotel suites and serviced apartments, 466, 298m2 of integrated golf community and 36, 000m2 of amusement and cultural heritage park.
As Senator Bala Mohammed approaches the end of his stay in office, the projects he has embarked upon will last long after he has gone to the benefit of all Nigerians.
Nigerians will pray that his successor will be able to wear his quite big shoes.

By AHMED LAWAL

I dey see this guy like a village Headmaster.

Nice article,i think the man has done more than expected..Indeed his shoes would be to big for his successor,laudable achievements that speaks for its self

true talk, the roads in abuja are so good that they are even compered to other developed cities abroad

@bisten14 a village Head master with the capacity to adapt, turn, amend, improve, modify, convert, revise, recast, reform, reshape, refashion, redesign, restyle, revamp, rework, remake, remodel and transform FCT.

saw the centenary city, its just mind blowing,with that alone i just like the personality of Bala mohammed..

Sir, you are the true definition of transformation, cant even imagine how far FCT would have been without you... well done sir.

@Bisten, he was your father's chief of staff at Bomade teaching college, yea, I remember now, he is that village head master that gave ya dady wings to fly...I wonder why some people can't appreciate good stuff's, do u even know where F.C.T is on the map? lol!

...it takes one with a different perspective, a true heart of service and a dynamic mentality to bring about a revolutionary change in any community! not all leaders really write their names in the heart of the people but this man...hmmm, I respect his decisions and approach towards a reshaped and advanced FCT, admired by the international communities, when ever I travel through the streets of Abuja, I findmany reasons to finally say "WELL DONE SENATOR BALA MOHAMMED" keep it up!

@OP,
How much did you get paid to come up with such a degree of falsehood,

None of the projects you highlighted were his brainchild, they are on going concerns that he couldn't put a stop to.. he didn't bring anything new, all the projects he continued with are the ones within the city centre.

No matter how bright you attempt to paint him, it won't work, his ilk can't get into Baba's cabinet but since you are his spokesperson, you can help ask the following:

Ask him about the access roads to the sun city, sunnyvale,kabusa gardens and other estates that the fct govt are supposed to provide amenities for.

Ask him about Pegi relocation scheme for people whose houses were demolished by the his predecessor.

Ask him why he decided to allow abuja to become a shadow of what EL-Rufai left, e.g some neighbourhood parks have been converted to bars or event centres, you can now find heaps of rubbish where they are not supposed to be and lots more examples.

Ask him about the monumental fraud that is called AGIS

Let me stop here...

too whom much is given much is expected.... Sir, u have done tremendously well.

modath:


@OP,
How much did you get paid to come up with such a degree of falsehood,

None of the projects you highlighted were his brainchild, they are on going concerns that he couldn't put a stop to.. he didn't bring anything new, all the projects he continued with are the ones within the city centre.

Ask him about the access roads to the sun city, sunnyvale,kabusa gardens and other estates that the fct govt are supposed to provide amenities for.

Ask him about Pegi relocation scheme for people whose houses were demolished by the his predecessor.

Ask him about the monumental fraud that is called AGIS

I pray buhari's government leanrs from him. Continue and finish the good work others started before embaking on new projects that what moving forward is about. Atleast you can admit that he finished the project others started. Most people will dump and start something they wont finish. [color=#000099][/color]

@modath most pegi residents were compensated, even the farmers at pegi http://www.fcda.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=32

ternajonah:
@modath most pegi residents were compensated, even the farmers at pegi http://www.fcda.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=32

Compensated with what? The land itself is the compensation.

Do you even know where pegi is? Doyou even understand what the issue really is?
Let me school you, Pegi is a fallow land mass that was allocated as settlement/replacement for demolished buildings in FCT surburbs.

EL-Rufai compensated people who got their houses demolished but the roads, schools, markets, hospitals etc that were supposed to be developed have not seen the light of day 8yrs after his exit and you are talking about farmers....

Incase you want to verify my account(cos I know you don't know where it is)Pegi is after Kuje,on airport road.

Drbill:


I pray buhari's government leanrs from him. Continue and finish the good work others started before embaking on new projects that what moving forward is about. Atleast you can admit that he finished the project others started. Most people will dump and start something they wont finish. [color=#000099][/color]

I pray we stop lauding mediocity in this beautiful nation of ours.

So he was supposed to stop work on airport road that the president and other govt officials ply almost on a daily basis? Haba naahh!

@modath what roads are u talking about first,are u d initiator of the centenary city? are you d one who constructed the massive Abuja airportroad? where u d one that developed districts such as Guzape,katampe, Jayi, Wuye, Maitama extension, Goodluck
district and Kagini pls let us knw now o since u are an advocate

@modath you speak without facts, you only write because your fingers can type without receiving orders from your brain.... where were u when the FCT minister of state handed over keys to beneficiaries in pegi at ongoing 1000 units housing units scheme

In as much as I will not write off the average performance of the FCT Minister, some persons should save us these sponsored praises of the Minister. We must not forget the fact that this man has spent close to 6 years as Minister, yet the major achievements are just to open up new districts with private investors backrolling the financing and the Usuma Dam projevt. Pls, what major road project did this minsiter awarded in his 6 years as Minister? Maybe just to complete the numerous road projects he met? Then where did the budgetry allocations vanished into? Apart from some selected areas in the heart of Abuja, how many satellite towns and residents have access to pipe borne water? For the information of the public, the Centeniary project is a Federal Government sponsored project. But if I may ask, is somebody afraid somwhere, to neccessitate these praise singing of the Minister everyday? Some thing must be wrong somewhere and we need to know.

nickxtra:
In as much as I will not write off the average performance of the FCT Minister, some persons should save us these sponsored praises of the Minister. We must not forget the fact that this man has spent close to 6 years as Minister, yet the major achievements are just to open up new districts with private investors backrolling the financing and the Usuma Dam projevt. Pls, what major road project did this minsiter awarded in his 6 years as Minister? Maybe just to complete the numerous road projects he met? Then where did the budgetry allocations vanished into? Apart from some selected areas in the heart of Abuja, how many satellite towns and residents have access to pipe borne water? For the information of the public, the Centeniary project is a Federal Government sponsored project. But if I may ask, is somebody afraid somwhere, to neccessitate these praise singing of the Minister everyday? Some thing must be wrong somewhere and we need to know.

first go and make ur findings properly The FCT minister is the initiator of the the centenary city,secondly,i can say of a truth that pipe borne water has never been a problem in Abuja since his tenure.Nigerians are quick to celebrate mediocrity but slow to hail achievements.@nickxtra try and get ur findings right maybe u would save us the typos here.

deolaj:

first go and make ur findings properly The FCT minister is the initiator of the the centenary city,secondly,i can say of a truth that pipe borne water has never been a problem in Abuja since his tenure.Nigerians are quick to celebrate mediocrity but slow to hail achievements.@nickxtra try and get ur findings right maybe u would save us the typos here.

Aside the districts for the rich and partly some areas in Kubw and Gwas, tell me another Satellite town with pipe borne water. Not even Bwari that's close to Usuma Dam where is water originates and even Dutse that some of the water pipelines going to town pass through

I'll have praised him more if he had put more effort in providing the following:

Social Housing
Mass Transport Systems
Ease for private citizens to build/acquire their own houses
Satellite town improvement

and had eliminated the

Satanic grip land speculators had held on the land
The hassles/corruption in the land admin system

His efforts though great appear elitist and skewed towards big money corporations.

nickxtra:
Aside the districts for the rich and partly some areas in Kubw and Gwas, tell me another Satellite town with pipe borne water. Not even Bwari that's close to Usuma Dam where is water originates and even Dutse that some of the water pipelines going to town pass through

karimo, lugbe,dutse, mpape etc.. i still affirm that u should do ur research well before u talk u just keep on saying things u knw nothing about @nickxtra

ternajonah:
@modath you speak without facts, you only write because your fingers can type without receiving orders from your brain.... where were u when the FCT minister of state handed over keys to beneficiaries in pegi at ongoing 1000 units housing units scheme

Evidence of your claim ? I know you wont be able to provide any since you've resorted to insults.

Ongoing project 8+ years after.