Food Security: FCTA EXCO Approves 250 Tonnes Of Fertilizer

In a bid to enhance food security in the Federal Capital Territory, the Executive Council of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, has approved the procurement of 250 metric tonnes of fertilizer for onward distribution to farmers.

The EXCO also approved N995m for the procurement of 1000 laptops for upgrade of Senior Secondary Schools into digital education system, as well as approval to build a befitting office complex for the body of benchers within the next 10 months.

These were some of the agreements reached by the EXCO members during its 10th meeting, Chaired by the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike.

Briefing journalists shortly after the Council meeting, the Mandate Secretary FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mr Lawan Geidam explained that the distribution of the fertilizer would compliment the moves for all year irrigation farming for increased food production in the territory.

“As you know, raining season has come to an end, and we are going into dry season – irrigation farming. This is the first time such approval was made so as to encourage all year round farming, because,it is been said, that a hungry man, is an angry man” Geidam said.

Speaking on transition from normal teaching and learning to digital education, the FCTA Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi, said the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike is passionate about digital education and has given a matching order for the procurement of laptops in Senior Secondary Schools towards equipping the students with the required digital knowledge to succeed in a technologically driven world.

“Transiting to ICT within schools in FCT is of a burning interest to the Hon. Minister, Nyesom Wike. We cannot claim and call ourselves Federal Capital, when our schools are not at par, as to what is happening across the globe.”

“The Hon. Minister is committed to ensure that most of our schools are digitalized, where the use of these facilities will become a new norm in our class room interactions, Amadi said.”

The Chief of Staff also used the medium to commend all the Media Houses for their prompt reportage of policies and programme of FCTA, describing them as critical partners in driving FCT development.

Corroborating the assertion, the Mandate Secretary FCT Education Secretariat, Dr Danlami Hayyo who noted that the digital materials would help in preparing Senior Secondary School Students for WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations, confirmed that N995m has been approved for immediate procurement of the digital learning materials.

“The Executive Council of the Federal Capital Territory Administration granted approval for the provision of all examination materials.”

“Secondly, there is another contract to transform FCT Schools into the digital education system. The contract was awarded to provide 1000 laptops attached with educational/ vocational skills curriculum content, so that teaching and learning in FCT will now move from normal classroom teaching to media education system of learning” Hayyo said.

Speaking on the proposed Apo Mechanic- Traders relocation to Wassa, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, Chief Felix Obuah who hinted that over twelve thousand people have registered and submitted their applications, said the EXCO members would give the final approval for the relocation of affected traders in the next meeting.

” People who are really interested in Apo to Wassa applied. So, we now got about twelve thousand something, so the EXCO considered that. They want to see that those that collected these forms get it, by approving something reasonable that all of them can afford to Pay” Obuah said.

The FCTA EXCO meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, and Mandate Secretaries from the various FCTA Secretariats.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji