Abdul Jelil Adebayo
In the beginning it was as if it would never come to pass, but here we are. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu has clocked one year as Executive Chairman of the most viable local government in Nigeria.
The journey was tortuous but to the glory of God the journey has started and within his first year as Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC chairman, every of the 12 Wards that constitute the Area Council has been impacted upon.
The legislature has not been left out, neither is the traditional institution left behind just as infrastructural development span every ward of the council.
As was said earlier, from the onset, nobody, including Maikalangu, ever thought the race to AMAC Secretariat in Area 10, would be this tough.
As a first step, he put a halt to leaking purse of the council. He terminated the rights hitherto enjoyed by the various consultants operating within the council.
He found out that enough revenue is being generated but only peanuts got into the coffers of AMAC.
Maikalangu therefore introduced a user-friendly digital software payment solutions (application) to ameliorate revenue leakages, replace the mundane and ineffective cash payment system of revenue generation and collection in the Federal Capital Territory.
In the beginning it was as if it would never come to pass, but here we are. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu has clocked one year as Executive Chairman of the most viable local government in Nigeria. The journey was tortuous but to the glory of God the journey has started and within his first year as Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC chairman, every of the 12 Wards that constitute the Area Council has been impacted upon
He said that concerted efforts to stop all forms of leakages and improve on the modus operandi of revenue collection in the Council with a view to improving on its tax collection approaches, block leakages and restore sanity in revenue collection and management.
The Chairman emphatically said that the government would not rest on its oars in bringing infrastructural development nearer to the residents, saying that the present administration was committed to running an inclusive government by using the communities as springboard for social and economic development.
According to him, “Since we came on board, despite the dwindling Federal allocations, we have done our best towards ensuring that workers salaries are paid as at when due in spite of the continuous shortfall in our statutory revenues.”
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to pay all outstanding liabilities owed to contractors who have so far completed various contracts awarded by the immediate past administration of the council.
His administration, he said, is on the fast lane and wants to work with anybody who will be on this same page with him.
In a bid to access quality basic health care services in AMAC, Maikalangu, said his administration has provided medical facility and renovation of the new Primary Health Care facility donated by the Rotary Club of Abuja, Karu Housing Estate.
He hopes that the provision of quality health care services would reverse the poor health indices in the council.
He charged traditional rulers in the council to ensure they safeguard government infrastructure within their domains and environs.
Maikalangu called on all ethnic nationalities in the Area Council to be law-abiding, patriotic and prayerful for the success of the nascent Council administration. Just as he implored missions, multinational corporations, individuals and spirited non-governmental organizations to consider local Councils across the country in the discharge of their corporate social responsibility to augment the rising educational and social needs of citizens given the fact that Government alone cannot cater for the diverse needs of the grassroots people.
Already, he has set in motion to upgrade the existing Council community radio station in Karshi to an economically viable broadcast station that would compete favourably with its peers in the country and also compete favourably with other choices that abound in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He has therefore urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory to embrace personal and environmental hygiene to effectively fight malaria. He spoke against the backdrop of preventable deaths of millions of adults and children, which he partly blamed on citizens’ non-challant attitude in adhering to primary healthcare rules such as general lackluster attitude to mosquito-treated nets use as well as absence of personal and environmental hygiene.
With these laudable achievements within one year, the four year first term looks encouraging and the residents of AMAC have reasons to appreciate their conviction for electing Christopher Zakka Maikalangu as the council chairman. Indeed the future looks brighter
Within the year under review, Maikalangu has granted a four-year tax relief in his first tenure for all shops owned by the Police Officers Wives Association, POWA in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Some of the buildings his administration has embarked upon include but not limited to construction of one block of 3 classrooms with Headmasters office with Toilet at MADALLA Community; Construction of one block of 3 classrooms with Headmasters office with Toilet at IDDO SABO Community; Fencing of GBESA Primary Health Center and Construction of Primary Health Center at PYAKASA Community.
On road projects, he has been able to rehabilitate WUMBA Township Road; Rehabilitation of IDDO SARKI Access Road and rehabilitation of MONDIC Road GWAGWA
As for water projects, within one year, Maikalangu has embarked on construction of Comprehensive Solar Community Borehole at DAMGMA; construction of Comprehensive Solar Community Borehole at KOKOIPO; construction of Comprehensive Solar Community Borehole at ANGWA GADE – JIKWOYI; construction of Comprehensive Community Borehole at ANGWA GBAGYI – KARSHI; and construction of Comprehensive Motorized Community Borehole at AREA C – NYANYA
On electrification Projects, he has supplied and installed Transformer at TOGE Community; Rural Electrification at TATAJIYA Community and Rural Electrification at HULUMI Community.
With these laudable achievements within one year, the four year first term looks encouraging and the residents of AMAC have reasons to appreciate their conviction for electing Christopher Zakka Maikalangu as the council chairman. Indeed the future looks brighter. Maikalangu, please, carry on.
. Abdul wrote in from Abuja via abduljelil2001@gmail.com
