Minister swears in new FCT area council chairmen

The FCT Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello, on Tuesday, swore in the new area council chairmen.

Those newly sworn in by Justice Suleiman Belgore are Alhaji Abubakar Giri (APC) – Gwagwalada; Abubakar Umar Abdullahi (APC) – Abaji; and Christopher Maikalangu (PDP) – Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

• NIGERIA DAILY: Cost Of Production Makes Rice Expensive
• Ethiopian wheat value chain: What Nigeria can learn

The returnee chairmen sworn in are Danladi Chiya (APC) – Kwali; Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo (PDP) – Kuje and John Gabaya (PDP) – Bwari.

The six vice chairmen were also sworn in.

City & Crime reports that the six council chairmen and their 62 councillors were elected on February 12, and were originally meant to be sworn in on April 20.

However, some of the outgoing chairmen reportedly approached an FCT High Court in Kubwa seeking for an additional year to enable them benefit from the four-year tenure approved for FCT council elected officials in the new Electoral Act.

The court had earlier ruled in favour of the tenure elongation which prompted massive protests by the natives and the FCT minister to suspend the inauguration on April 20.

Last Thursday, however, the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Ibrahim, vacated the earlier ruling and ordered the FCT minister to immediately swear in the elected officials.

At the ceremony on Tuesday, the minister tasked them to focus on education, health, environmental challenges and the security of their communities by working alongside their community leaders.