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FCT Assumes State Status: Minister redeployed to presidency

Posted by From Andy Ekugo in Abuja on 2005/03/02 | Views: 589 |

FCT Assumes State Status: Minister redeployed to presidency


President Olusegun Obasanjo has invoked the powers conferred on him by Sections 299 and 302 of the constitution to restructure the administration of the Federal Capital Territory which will now be run like a state.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has invoked the powers conferred on him by Sections 299 and 302 of the constitution to restructure the administration of the Federal Capital Territory which will now be run like a state.

Under the new arrangement, the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (MFCT) has now been scrapped. The territory will henceforth be known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The FCT which is the administrative and bureaucratic structure established and referred to as the MFCT has been abolished and in its place the territory would be known and referred only as the Federal Capital Territory. This takes effect from December 31 2004.

Obasanjo exercising his powers as the Governor of the FCT as contained in Sections 299 and 302 of the Constitution and Sections 14 and 18(b) of the Federal Capital Territory Act Cap F6 Laws of Nigeria 2004 through Order No 1 2004, directed that all activities carried out by the various departments and sub-units of the ministry should be wound up within one month for the effective take-off of the new regime.

By this directive, the FCT has jettisoned its second status as a ministry and would have the independence of a state government.

According to the directive, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA) is now the Chief Executive and principal adviser to the Minister, Nasir el-Rufai who is now a minister in the President's office. El-Rufai is also the Chairman of the Board of the FCDA as provided for in Section 18a of the Federal Capital Territory Act of 1976.

Also, the order 'reverts the legal and administrative structure of the FCT to the status quo ante and be fully compliant with the intention and meaning of the FCT and the FCDA as its sole development and management agency."

According to the order captioned 'Federal Capital Territory (Establishment of Functionaries and Departments) and the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory Order No 1 of 2004, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry will head an 8-man Winding-Up Committee that would midwife the transition within one month. After the winding up exercise, the Permanent Secretary with other ministry staff would be transferred to the office of the Head of Service of the Federation for reposting.

The Permsec, among other things, will within the winding up period 'advise the Minister on service, establishment, staff welfare, deployment and pension matters relating to the winding up of the ministry and advise the minister on the modalities for proper and effective transfer and disposal of all assets and liabilities of the ministry pursuant to its winding up and dissolution as ordered therein".

Consequently, executive secretariats which shall function like ministries in states of the Federation shall be created. These are Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Health and Human Services, Social Development and Transportation. In addition, the existing Satellite Towns Development Agency, Abuja Geographic Information Systems, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency and the Abuja Tourism Development Agency shall also function as specialized bureau and parastatals similar to those in other states of the Federation.

However, the order states that 'Executive authority in the Territory conferred by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is hereby delegated to the minister who shall be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Territory, accountable to the President".

The minister shall have power to 'appoint with the approval of the President of the Federation of Nigeria such fit and proper persons, by whatever title known to function as chief executives of such secretariat or agency to whom the minister may delegate his executive and accounting powers and duties as he may deem fit, determine the personnel requirements of the secretariats and agencies and assign required staff of FCDA and other agencies thereto, review and approve and consolidate into the budget of FCT the annual estimate of revenue and expenditure proposed by each secretariat or agency for the coming fiscal year, review and approve the programme of activity proposed by each secretariat or agency for the coming fiscal year and authorize the opening and operation of bank accounts for each secretariat or agency to be operated in a manner that ensures transparency, accountability and due process".

He is also to delegate as much powers as he 'deem fit" to the chief executives of the secretariat and agencies to do all such things as necessary to ensure the due and prompt execution of their assigned functions, powers and responsibilities.

The secretariats and agencies shall be accountable to the Minister who is also given the powers to 'with the approval of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria issue in writing such directives modifying or amending this order as he may deem necessary in furtherance of the efficient execution of the intention" of the new status.

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