FCT minister clamps down on land racketeers

Muhammad Bello, minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Monday, directed the Department of Security Services (DSS) and Abuja Geographical Information Service (AGIS) to stop the activities of touts and land speculators loitering around AGIS premises.

Bello gave the order while addressing Jamila Tangaza, AGIS director who briefed him on the activities of the agency.

The minister, who decried the unwholesome practices being perpetuated by the group, argued that such activities pose security risk as well as the image of AGIS and by extension the FCT Administration.

In the bid to strengthen security across public institutions, the minister also directed all FCT staff to wear their ID cards within the office premises for easy identification, and therefore directed the DSS to enforce such directive to the latter.

He said: “All staff of FCTA/FCDA must wear their staff identification cards at all times to distinguish between the real staff and visitors to the previous.”

According to him, visitors should be admitted into the premises of the FCT Administration based on appointments, and be guided to the specific departments they are visiting.

He emphasised that this would go along way in bringing sanity to the influx of people coming in and out of the FCT Administration premises, thereby assisting in improving government business.

Earlier in her brief, the director, Abuja Geographic Information Systems, Jamilah Tangaza disclosed that 75 to 80 percent of the 2015 set targets of AGIS had been achieved.

Tangaza revealed that allocation and revocation functions of the AGIS system were disabled on May 29, 2015, to avoid any fraud by illegal infiltration into it, since the Federal Executive Council was officially dissolved and such functions require the approval of the minister.