The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Mohammed Bello, to appear before it over the deteriorating security and infrastructure in the nation’s capital.

The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved at plenary on Tuesday by the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Tobi Okechukwu, titled ‘Urgent need to arrest the fast deterioration of the Federal Capital Territory’.

Moving the motion, Okechukwu expressed concern that Abuja has never been as unsafe as it is presently.

He decried the influx of bandits and other criminals, lack of modern security infrastructure in the city centre and the satellite towns and non-maintenance of available ones, including CCTV installations and street light.

Okechukwu expressed concern over the poor city management bedevilling the FCT resulting in obvious disorderliness and widespread deterioration.

The lawmaker noted with serious concern the indiscriminate allocation of lands without a matching infrastructural development.

The deputy minority leader further lamented the lack of infrastructure in the satellite towns and the resort by tax-paying citizens to self help in the territory that should ordinarily model rural development in Nigeria.

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Okechukwu expressed concern about the allocation of lands in Green Areas in clear breach of the FCT Master Plan.

He also noted with concern the worsening poor waste management practice in the FCT, including dearth and poor maintenance of waste treatment plants, despite the Minister of State, FCT’s claim of N8 billion annual expenditure on waste management in the FCT.

The lawmaker also expressed worry over the far-reaching consequences of the absence of a full complement of the FCTA’s administrative structure for about two years since the appointment of the FCT Minister, including the non-appointment of mandate secretaries, equivalent of commissioners at state level, to form the FCT Executive Council.

Okechukwu pointed out the powers to legislate for the FCT and oversight the FCT Administration pursuant to Section 299 (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Contributing, Hon. Nicholas Ossai said the House Committee on FCT was already taking action based on the organic functions given the committee by the House.

He said one of the references of the committee was to look into the impact structures of the FCT.

Ossai stressed that while Okechukwu’s motion was all encompassing, he believed most of the key issues are part of the reference of the Committee on FCT.

Responding, Okechukwu insisted that the relationship between the National Assembly and the minister of FCT is not passive.

He explained that the relationship that exists between the National Assembly and FCT minister is the same that exists between governors and state assemblies.

Okechukwu stated: “Nobody can perform magic. You can’t do all the job, that administration must be enabled. We must see this happen. You delegate responsibilities. We got to get them to do the job. There are some imperfections, when we interrogate him, interview him, we can refer to the committee to conclude the job. That is how it is done.”

He was of the opinion that the absence of street lights made it impossible for citizens to be secured.

It was at this point that the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, put the motion to vote and it was passed.