Leadership (Abuja)
Golu Timothy
21 November 2008
Abuja — A whooping $15 billion is needed for the development of basic infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory, supervising minister, Mr Remi Babalola has said.
Babalola said this yesterday while addressing delegates to the Abuja Business and Investment Round Table at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
In a statement by his chief press secretary,Mohammed Hazat Sule,the minister said the FCT Administration is already working on a blueprint to source for the needed funds from the domestic and international investors where the government would only complement by providing the enabling environment.
Babalola stressed that from all the options so far examined, the best alternative is by bringing in genuine investors under the Public-Private-Partnership arrangement.
According to him, the FCT Administration is desperately determined to provide the basic infrastructure in consonance and dictates of the Abuja master plan.
He reiterated that brilliant ideas can't get anybody anywhere if such ideas are not properly put across, adding that "we are more than ever committed to get such wonderful ideas across for the benefit of posterity."
His words: "This round table is auspicious for the FCT Administration in its timing as the present administration of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is deepening the existing conducive environment for doing business in Nigeria .
"President Yar'Adua's administration has achieved considerable success in this regard, especially the maintenance of social and political policies that promote democracy, peace, harmony and concord," he emphasised.
The minister assured that the FCT Administration is very passionate about the pursuit of the main tenets of good governance by observing the principle of rule of law, respect for human rights as well as curbing graft from all its ramifications.
Also speaking at the occasion, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, represented by his Economic Adviser, Tanimu Yakubu, assured that Nigeria today is different from Nigeria of yester years and that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to change the way we do things for better.
The president noted that the introduction of the SERVICOM Charter is a deliberate policy that serves as a wake-up call thereby changing our attitude in our service delivery efforts.
He remarked that land is one of the greatest assets of the Federal Capital Territory and that the Federal Government would assist in enhancing its value to enable it adequately finance the building of infrastructure in the territory without much stress.
The president revealed that the Federal Government would soon establish Land Reform Commission to deal with all grey areas in the sub-sector.
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