59th Anniversary: Bello calls for commitment in rebuilding Abuja

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has called for commitment and dedication on the part of residents in rebuilding the capital city as envisaged by the visionary leaders of the past. The minister, who made the call to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja, acknowledged that the […]

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has called for commitment and dedication on the part of residents in rebuilding the capital city as envisaged by the visionary leaders of the past.

The minister, who made the call to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja, acknowledged that the development of the FCT in itself has not been without its own challenges.

Represented at the occasion by FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the minister noted that nearly six decades after, Nigeria has risen to become one of the most influential countries in the world, acknowledging that like any other country, Nigeria has not been without challenges, the biggest perhaps, being the 1967-1970 civil war which challenged the unity and indivisibility of the country.

“It will gladden my heart,  as I have no doubt, it will gladden the hearts of our founding fathers, because it will be the realization of their dreams if every resident of the FCT truly regards the territory as home and will treat her as such.

“For far too long, many residents of the FCT, consider her as simply a location where they live out of necessity to make a living while their hearts lie somewhere else. I must say that for the FCT to really make the dreams of her founders become a reality and truly become a home for all Nigerians, we must treat her the way we treat the homes in which we live daily.

“I have often times said that as residents of the FCT we owe ourselves and indeed the entire country to treat it as our one true home. It is a statement of fact that there now exists a generation of Nigerians who know no other home but the FCT. They were born in Abuja, schooled in Abuja, currently employed in Abuja and have started their own families here in Abuja

“The FCT has lived up to the dreams of her founding fathers, as over the years, it has become a melting pot of cultures, traditions and people from virtually every village and hamlet in Nigeria,” he noted.

Bello, therefore, tasked residents of Abuja to insist that the right things are done properly and not hesitate to hold government and even community and traditional heads to account on behalf of the generality of the people in the FCT.