From Hutson Efosa, Abuja.
The FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has called on the FCT Administration to better equip the Social Development Secretariat, SDS, to ensure that it carries out its mandate.
Some stakeholders also advocated for a physical town hall meeting to discuss some burning issues since the country is gradually easing out of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Dr Aliyu, in a statement revealed that the administration was taking steps to tackle youth restiveness that resulted to looting and destruction of government facilities in the territory.
However, those who took part in the virtual meeting included Sen.Usman Jibrin Wowo, Hon. Ishaku Tanko Yamawo, Hon. Bako Angulu, Hon. Musa Dikko, Hon. Danladi Zhin, Engr. Adamu Amako, among others.
The minister, who made this known during a virtual stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja also called on critical stakeholders to embark on strategic sensitization of residents across the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory.
She used the occasion to commend Kuje youths for their efforts in repelling the hoodlums, who attempted to disrupt the peace in their community, while calling on other youths from other area councils to be vigilant and continue to remain peaceful and law abiding.
Dr Aliyu, also stated that the FCT Administration through its Social Development Secretariat had set-up data desks aimed at collating the data of youths across all area councils, adding that the data collated would help to identify the needs of the youths with a view to engaging them.
The Minister further stated that “because all area councils have peculiar demands, these Data Desks will be designed to serve individual area councils according to their needs and demands.
However, whatever decision is going to be made by the administration, it will include inputs from all stakeholders as this will make apolitical office holders to serve residents better”.
While speaking on the School Feeding Programme, Dr Aliyu stated that her office has been working on training the indigenous women and youths of the FCT on how they could handle the school feeding programme so that they have more control over what and how their children are fed.
She, however, assured that measures have been put in place by the Social Development Secretariat to engage the youths and women in vocational training, just as she tasked all stakeholders to work towards identifying vocal youths and setting structures for leadership positions.
In their various contributions, stakeholders commended the FCT Minister of State for recognizing the role of critical stakeholders in governance, just as they pledged to assist the administration to achieve peaceful co-existence in the territory.
Sen. Usman Jibrin Wowo, urged the Social Development Secretariat to set-up a platform that would allow the FCT Administration to constantly interact with the key leadership of the youths on the need to ensure peace and cohesiveness in their communities, adding that such platform would also help the youths understand the direction and polices of government, he advised.
