Modibbo weeps as he hands over

Modibbo weeps as he hands over
Says I want to serve again
By NGOZI OKAFOR, ABUJA
Friday, October 31, 2008

•Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar Photo: Sun News Publishing

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One of the high-profile casualties of Wednesday’s cabinet reshuffle, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar, literally fought back tears yesterday as he handed over the reins of office to take his final bow.

Modibbo, until the cabinet shake up, minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, had read the mournful mood in the Minister’s Conference Room when he announced that the hand-over ceremony would be brief, to avoid turning it into a “crying party.” But it was with an emotion-laden voice that he conducted the affair, even as he noted that he was still ready to serve, if re-appointed.

Clad in a white caftan with a cap to match and his head towering above everyone else’s, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Aliyu Modibbo Umar, entered the Minister’s Conference hall located in Life Camp, Jabi Abuja, with puffy eyes and looking confounded.

The event was the handover ceremony organised on the heels of Wednesday’s cabinet shake-up in which 20 ministers were sent packing by President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua.
In an emotion-laden voice, Dr Modibbo, even as he fought to control tears, expressed appreciation to all for his days as the minister of the FCT, saying it was a rare privilege to serve as a cabinet minister thrice.
His words: “We will be fast, because we do not want to turn this place into a crying party and I will lead you in that crying. I hope it will be possible but let’s see how it goes.”
He continued, “I have always said that if a regular person will thank God 10 times, Aliyu Modibbo will thank God a million times. I thank the president for granting me a rare privilege of occupying this exalted position.”

The former minister declined press interview and hence did not explain the reason for his gloomy look and the shedding of tears. He said while handing over that his administration was able to calm nerves of the masses in restoring the Abuja Master Plan and that brought measurable tranquility to the territory.
“We have tried to restore confidence in the administration of FCT and have instituted a number of programmes. I wish the in-coming administration will sustain the legacies we have left behind.”
Modibbo expressed the desire to serve again in any capacity if re-appointed as he claimed to still have so much passion to effect positive changes in the nation.

“I am ready for service to my fatherland when called without hesitation. One of the presidents I served with will always say minister before, minister today and minister hmmm… You never can tell what God has in store for us.”
The newly appointed supervising Minister for the FCT, Mr. Remi Babalola said his appointment was another call to national service, as a responsible and patriotic Nigerian.

“I will endeavour to put in my best efforts. Let me place on record the tremendous efforts and zeal exhibited in the administration of the FCT by the out-going Minister, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar and the Minister of State, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.
“The position of the Federal Capital Territory has always been unique, given the vision of the founding fathers. The uniqueness of managing the FCT derives from being a cross between a ministry and a state administration,” he said.

According to him, the major concern of all Nigerians over the years, and which all previous administrations have had to contend with, was the need to restore the Abuja Master Plan.
“We are all aware of the various challenges faced by previous administrations in this regard. It is my sincere wish to ensure that this original Master Plan is maintained.
“Every dimension of it will be carefully analysed and strictly implemented, to ensure that Abuja remains a pride, not only to Nigeria, but to the entire African continent.”

Three-year-old girl violated by crazy cop

Good Morning! oct 1 2008

Services Back Page Advert Rates Online Advert Rates Subscription News Home National Business News Abuja Reports Sports Politics Sun Girl Editorial Editorial Issues Letters Opinion Columnists Community Standard Guestbook View Guestbook Sun Chatroom Features Apettit Arts BlockBuster CEO Magazine Celebrity Fashion City Sun Crime Watch Covert Choice CyberSun Enterprise Everyday Heroes Exquisite Property Fashion & Celebrity Fashion & Beauty Favourite File Health Magazine How I write Life Style Living Mafia Series Man in the street Man in the pulpit Managing a Law Firm Me & My God Media People Money Motoring Power Game Romance Romantic Faction Senior Citizen Showtime Smoking Guns Sun Splash Sunlight of Islam Travels Window of the world Window on widows Woman of the Sun Women in Business Women & Me Videoscope Weekend News Saturday News Sunday News Company Profile About Us Contact Us Raped!… From MOLLY KILETE, Abuja Monday, May 28, 2007 • The violated girl Mores Stories on This Section This little girl is just three years old. But even at that tender age, Blessing is experiencing first hand, the bitter aftertaste of the evil that a man can inflict on a fellow mortal. Blessing’s once happy life has now taken a sudden turn for the worse. Reason? A policeman from the pit of hell allegedly lured her into the bush and mercilessly raped the innocent girl. And her life has never remained the same. "I am begging the good people of Nigeria to come and help me and God will help them," cries Blessing’s distraught mum, Mrs Florence (other name withheld), hot tears streaming down her face. The innocent girl’s moving story commenced at about nine o’clock that fateful Sunday night when the crazy cop reportedly sent for her. Blessing was already enjoying her sleep inside her parent’s home in Bagusa, Gungwa when her brother ran in to deliver the cop’s message. The boy had thought that the cop wanted to give his sister some cookies. Their mum, who was preparing dinner at the time, said she didn’t want the little girl out at that time of the night but later grudgingly gave her consent. She thought the caller was her husband’s brother who lived nearby. But after some time, when the girl did not return, Florence naturally became worried. She rushed to her brother-in-law’s place to look for her daughter. Her confusion could only be imagined when the man told her he had not set his eyes on Blessing. Blessing’s brother was quickly sent for. The little boy then explained that the man that sent him to his sister was a certain ‘uncle MOPOL’ who had been drinking at a bar operated by Florence’s brother-in-law. Admitting that he had seen the said cop early in the evening, the man rushed outside and discovered that the policeman’s motorbike was still packed outside the bar. He decided to keep a vigil by the bike and await the owner. Unable to continue an indefinite wait for her child, Florence started going from house to house, seeking her daughter. She went as far as the only river in the village, but was unable to cross to the other side. According to her, she then went inside an apartment by the river to find out if anyone there had seen her daughter. Someone allegedly told her that he had seen the cop walk past the house with Blessing. "I nearly ran mad on hearing that," she confesses. "I then ran back to the village and screamed for help from residents to help me look for my daughter. People immediately came to my aid. We searched and searched but there was no trace of my daughter. I then went back to the river and started crying, begging the policeman to bring my daughter back, dead or alive. After that, I went back to the village." Soon after, the suspected policeman suddenly appeared in the village with the missing girl, claiming that he had rescued her from the hands of kidnappers. Apparently unaware that he was the prime suspect, the cop was said to have knocked on a family’s door with the little girl. Pretending to be excited, the family secretly sent one of their kids to raise the alarm in the village that both the girl and suspect were back. The villagers rushed to the scene, including Blessing’s mum, Florence. But their joy soon turned into sorrow when the little girl’s condition became more apparent. "She was crying," narrates her mum amidst sobs. "She was saying, ‘mama, mama, my yansh, my back, my leg. He beat me, he beat me well, well. Mama carry me!’ I carried her. But when I tried to place her on the ground, her legs wobbled, and she was crying, complaining about her private part, her back and her legs. I saw that my daughter was soaked in water and mud from head to toe, with bruises all over her face, body and neck. Not only that, I saw sperm around her legs and when I looked further, I saw that the man had penetrated her through the anus after he may have tried several times to penetrate her through the vagina. I could not believe what I saw and I started crying. God why? I cried because this is just a child. She is just three years old and the man knew that. If I had known that it was not my husband’s brother that sent for the child, I would not have let her out that night. That was why he told my boy to say it was brother who was calling her. How can a man who has his own children do this to another person’s child?" Boiling with rage over the cop’s alleged evil deed, the villagers pounced on him and beat him black and blue. But seeing that he might soon be beaten to death, Florence begged the angry mob to spare his life. Why didn’t she allow the crowd to finish off the alleged rapist; you ask. "The man is a policeman," she notes. "Since he is a government worker, I wanted to report him to the government that employed him. I wanted to ask his employers if this child deserved what she got from this man, or whether I deserved the kind of trauma I got from the evil deeds of this man. I wanted them to tell me if what he did was good." The crowd then marched the suspected rapist to the Gwagwa Police station and reported the incident. Initially, the policemen reportedly queried the veracity of the story. But a senior police officer at the station wondered why the cop was unable to apprehend any of the kidnappers from whose hands he claimed to have rescued the girl. The officer then ordered that the girl be taken to a nearby clinic for proper medical check-up. And not surprisingly, the doctor confirmed what they had known all along; the girl had, indeed, been severally raped. She was immediately placed on admission. According to Blessing’s mum, the little girl spent about one week at the hospital, where she had sleepless days and nights. "she was crying round the clock," she recalls, "She was always complaining of pains all over her body, especially on her private part. She could no longer stand on her own. Besides that, we are broke now, as we have spent all we have at the police station." She is however, grateful to the hospital management for treating the little girl free of charge. The medical practitioner who attended to Blessing, Dr Michael Ehimen told Daily Sun that there was massive evidence that the girl had been violated. "I found the girl had been sexually abused with bruises all over her face and at the anus with a lot of semen mixed with stool." The girl’s mum told Daily Sun that while the police were dilly-dallying with the case, a concerned Nigerian, who learnt of Blessing’s ordeal during a visit to his relative on admission at the hospital, decided to take the incident to the media. In the meantime, Florence is appealing to good spirited Nigerians to assist the family by helping her daughter get proper medical attention. She would want the girl examined for sexually transmitted diseases, notably HIV, and any other ailments that she might have contracted from the alleged rapist-cop. "I just hope my little angel has not been infected with any disease that could, in future, mar her reproductive system," she says, even as the mother of five recalls how she had prayed fervently before having the little girl after having given birth to three boys. Blessing, she confesses, has never been the same since that ugly incident. "She hardly eats her food. Each time you want to feed her, she tells you that she is already full. Most times, she shivers like someone in shock. I believe that the incident is having a psychological effect on her. How would she grow up and live a normal life with this trauma already on her at such an early age? I am begging the good people of Nigeria, don’t let my daughter’s life be ruined, don’t allow this evil man to go scot-free."

hree-year-old girl violated by crazy cop

Raped!… T
From MOLLY KILETE, Abuja
Monday, May 28, 2007

•

Mores Stories on This Section

This little girl is just three years old. But even at that tender age, Blessing is experiencing first hand, the bitter aftertaste of the evil that a man can inflict on a fellow mortal. Blessing’s once happy life has now taken a sudden turn for the worse. Reason? A policeman from the pit of hell allegedly lured her into the bush and mercilessly raped the innocent girl. And her life has never remained the same.

"I am begging the good people of Nigeria to come and help me and God will help them," cries Blessing’s distraught mum, Mrs Florence (other name withheld), hot tears streaming down her face.

The innocent girl’s moving story commenced at about nine o’clock that fateful Sunday night when the crazy cop reportedly sent for her. Blessing was already enjoying her sleep inside her parent’s home in Bagusa, Gungwa when her brother ran in to deliver the cop’s message.

The boy had thought that the cop wanted to give his sister some cookies. Their mum, who was preparing dinner at the time, said she didn’t want the little girl out at that time of the night but later grudgingly gave her consent. She thought the caller was her husband’s brother who lived nearby.

But after some time, when the girl did not return, Florence naturally became worried. She rushed to her brother-in-law’s place to look for her daughter. Her confusion could only be imagined when the man told her he had not set his eyes on Blessing. Blessing’s brother was quickly sent for. The little boy then explained that the man that sent him to his sister was a certain ‘uncle MOPOL’ who had been drinking at a bar operated by Florence’s brother-in-law.

Admitting that he had seen the said cop early in the evening, the man rushed outside and discovered that the policeman’s motorbike was still packed outside the bar. He decided to keep a vigil by the bike and await the owner. Unable to continue an indefinite wait for her child, Florence started going from house to house, seeking her daughter. She went as far as the only river in the village, but was unable to cross to the other side. According to her, she then went inside an apartment by the river to find out if anyone there had seen her daughter. Someone allegedly told her that he had seen the cop walk past the house with Blessing.

"I nearly ran mad on hearing that," she confesses. "I then ran back to the village and screamed for help from residents to help me look for my daughter. People immediately came to my aid. We searched and searched but there was no trace of my daughter. I then went back to the river and started crying, begging the policeman to bring my daughter back, dead or alive. After that, I went back to the village."
Soon after, the suspected policeman suddenly appeared in the village with the missing girl, claiming that he had rescued her from the hands of kidnappers.

Apparently unaware that he was the prime suspect, the cop was said to have knocked on a family’s door with the little girl. Pretending to be excited, the family secretly sent one of their kids to raise the alarm in the village that both the girl and suspect were back. The villagers rushed to the scene, including Blessing’s mum, Florence. But their joy soon turned into sorrow when the little girl’s condition became more apparent.

"She was crying," narrates her mum amidst sobs. "She was saying, ‘mama, mama, my yansh, my back, my leg. He beat me, he beat me well, well. Mama carry me!’ I carried her. But when I tried to place her on the ground, her legs wobbled, and she was crying, complaining about her private part, her back and her legs. I saw that my daughter was soaked in water and mud from head to toe, with bruises all over her face, body and neck.

Not only that, I saw sperm around her legs and when I looked further, I saw that the man had penetrated her through the anus after he may have tried several times to penetrate her through the vagina. I could not believe what I saw and I started crying. God why? I cried because this is just a child. She is just three years old and the man knew that.

If I had known that it was not my husband’s brother that sent for the child, I would not have let her out that night. That was why he told my boy to say it was brother who was calling her. How can a man who has his own children do this to another person’s child?"
Boiling with rage over the cop’s alleged evil deed, the villagers pounced on him and beat him black and blue. But seeing that he might soon be beaten to death, Florence begged the angry mob to spare his life. Why didn’t she allow the crowd to finish off the alleged rapist; you ask.

"The man is a policeman," she notes. "Since he is a government worker, I wanted to report him to the government that employed him. I wanted to ask his employers if this child deserved what she got from this man, or whether I deserved the kind of trauma I got from the evil deeds of this man. I wanted them to tell me if what he did was good."
The crowd then marched the suspected rapist to the Gwagwa Police station and reported the incident.

Initially, the policemen reportedly queried the veracity of the story. But a senior police officer at the station wondered why the cop was unable to apprehend any of the kidnappers from whose hands he claimed to have rescued the girl. The officer then ordered that the girl be taken to a nearby clinic for proper medical check-up. And not surprisingly, the doctor confirmed what they had known all along; the girl had, indeed, been severally raped. She was immediately placed on admission.

According to Blessing’s mum, the little girl spent about one week at the hospital, where she had sleepless days and nights. "she was crying round the clock," she recalls, "She was always complaining of pains all over her body, especially on her private part. She could no longer stand on her own. Besides that, we are broke now, as we have spent all we have at the police station."

She is however, grateful to the hospital management for treating the little girl free of charge.
The medical practitioner who attended to Blessing, Dr Michael Ehimen told Daily Sun that there was massive evidence that the girl had been violated. "I found the girl had been sexually abused with bruises all over her face and at the anus with a lot of semen mixed with stool."

The girl’s mum told Daily Sun that while the police were dilly-dallying with the case, a concerned Nigerian, who learnt of Blessing’s ordeal during a visit to his relative on admission at the hospital, decided to take the incident to the media.

In the meantime, Florence is appealing to good spirited Nigerians to assist the family by helping her daughter get proper medical attention. She would want the girl examined for sexually transmitted diseases, notably HIV, and any other ailments that she might have contracted from the alleged rapist-cop. "I just hope my little angel has not been infected with any disease that could, in future, mar her reproductive system," she says, even as the mother of five recalls how she had prayed fervently before having the little girl after having given birth to three boys.

Blessing, she confesses, has never been the same since that ugly incident. "She hardly eats her food. Each time you want to feed her, she tells you that she is already full. Most times, she shivers like someone in shock. I believe that the incident is having a psychological effect on her. How would she grow up and live a normal life with this trauma already on her at such an early age? I am begging the good people of Nigeria, don’t let my daughter’s life be ruined, don’t allow this evil man to go scot-free."

FCT indigenes spit fire

By NGOZI OKAFOR, AbujaMonday, August 18, 2008
•Dr. Aliyu Modibbo UmarPhoto: Sun News Publishing
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Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory have warned that Federal Government may be courting calamity if it refuses to accord them adequate compensation. The indigenes are irked that their land and what they described as the inheritance of their ancestors are taken away from them deceitfully without due recognition of their rights.John Galadima of Galadimawa community in Abuja Municipal Area council told Daily Sun that "the government of the day is brooding calamity that will be unleashed upon it in the nearest future by pushing the FCT indigenes aside.”He said the indigenes may soon press home their points forcefully, as it is obvious that the only language the government understands is violence, while saying that government should not take their simplicity for stupidity.He said the Niger Delta crisis is going to be a child’s play when the Gwaris rise up to the oppression meted to them. "Our hearts are boiling that we are sacrificing our ancestral homes. It is a huge sacrifice but it is unfortunate that we don’t have a listening government."By the time we re-enforce, Abuja will definitely be too hot for them", he said while faulting the comments from different quarters that there are no indigenes in FCT and that it is unconstitutional to lay claim on land ownership in Nigeria as the land belongs to the Federal Government. He said every resident in Abuja has a state and a local government where they return to and they have land they could call their own where they build houses and he queried why they should be denied of such rights. He also argued that royalties are paid to some states either because oil is exploited or solid mineral is mined from their area but it is only in FCT that indigenous heritage is not recognised.Galadima equally alerted of the impeding doom that will soon behalf the government in an effort to resettle some of them. He said they may likely turn down the offer. "How can you build a house for us without an input from us. They set up a committee but we are not part of it. We showed them the building pattern we wanted but they rejected it and went ahead with their own design. We had expected a round table discussion but they did not invite us".He continued: " Look at the resettlement site in Kubwa and tell me what the third generation of the children of these indigenes will lay hold of. There was no provision for farmland for them. They now rent land to farm. The schools around are too expensive for them. Some of them cannot afford even a primary education because the standard of living is too high for them. So, this same children might eventually grow up to be a pain in the neck of the government. They may rise up one day to burn down all the magnificent buildings in Maitama in an attempt to reclaim their land".He further complained that the government having promised to allocate 10 per cent of land in each community is not living up to its promises. Look at Galadimawa, the were supposed to give 10 percent of the land to the indigenes but before we knew it, the whole area was allocated to private developers and we don’t have anything. The private developers are building multimillion naira houses and renting or selling to people in millions and hundreds of thousand naira."They paid some of our chiefs peanuts in terms of compensation. Economic trees were valued at N800 or N1000 each and a large expanse of land for N80,000 the same plot of land they now sell in millions of naira".Another residence, Nathaniel Gaza of Pyakassa community said FCT indigenes have lost their identity and future generation may have a problem to grapple with. "They have taken away our place of origin. To say that we are being marginalised is an understatement, but I think we need to be compensated adequately even more than the Niger Deltans. Will it be too much for the Federal Government to at least give free education to all FCT indigenes up to the tertiary level to empower them?"But these indigenes awaiting compensation from the Federal Government may have to wait for a very long time says Festus Esekhile, Director, Resettlement and compensation FCT.Esekhile told Daily Sun that FCT indigenes are not in any way different from any other citizen in other states of the federation and that citing the Federal Capital Territory within their domain should be a thing of joy to them.He said the demand for compensation by the indigenes is out place as provision is made strictly for those communities that would be displaced by the city expansion."Only villages within the city boundaries are entitled to resettlement and compensation. All other villages should remain where they are. As a matter of fact, only 2000square meter out of the 8000 square meter coverage area of the territory so, they have the other parts of the territory to reside and live their normal life".He explained that the Federal Capital Territory administration is making efforts to resettle the affected indigenes."Lands have been acquired in the various resettlement sites across FCT. Galuwyi/Shere resettlement scheme covers an area of 9000 hectares of land with 2,200 housing units ranging from two to five bedroom low."Wasa with 700 hectares of land and 931 housing unit and Apo resettlement site covers an area of 450 hectares with 971 houses while Anagada site covers about 10,000 hectares."Work has reached advanced stage in the Apo resettlement site and indigenes of Garki village, Apo village and Akpanjenya will be moved there. 45 per cent of work in Wasa site is completed while Galuwyi /Shere is 55 per cent completed".He also noted that plots of land would be given to all male indigenes above 18 years.He said due consideration is being given to squatters and settlers in some illegal structures of the FCT. "Residents of Angwan Mada have been relocated to Gidan Mangoro; Jabi settlers have been relocated to Kuchiko in Bwari; Gwagwa and Jiwa to Pegi andsquatters along the airport road to Yangoji in Kwali".The director also noted that adequate compensation would be given to the indigenes to be relocated. "We moved them to places where they have agreed to go, a place where they have cultural affinity with. We build houses for them depending on what they have on ground, provide them with farmlands and pay for the economic trees where available".He said the village heads would get a four bedroom flat each and a palace for the chiefs. "Government is using the opportunity to improve their standard of living".All these efforts by the FCT administration is considered a child’s play by the FCT indigenes who vowed to fight with the last drop of their blood till justice is done.

Gidan Mangoro residents cry out to AMAC over amenities

By Abubakar Sani, Abuja

Residents of Gidan Mangoro, a suburb in the Karu Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to, as a matter of urgency, provide social amenities such as roads, water and electricity to the community especially against the backdrop of the relocation of residents of Anguwan Mada, which was demolished last week, to the village.

Spokesman of the community, Mr. John Danjuma, who is also the Galadima of Gidan Mangoro, told Kapital News in Abuja, last week, that the massive movement of people from Anguwan Mada has led to an increase in demand on the only stream, which serves the community, a situation, which he said, could lead to outbreak of an epidemic.

"Government has promised that roads, electricity and water would be provided before these people come here but we have not seen any of these things", Mr. Danjuma said.

He also appealed to AMAC chairman, Dr. Zaphaniah Jisalo to fulfill his earlier promise to build a skills acquisition centre in the community to house training kits donated by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF). The training kits, which include sewing and knitting machines among others, are now laying waste in the chief’s palace due to the unavailability of a building to house them.

Another resident, Mr. Israel Gwamna, Dan Masanin Gidan Mangoro however thanked authorities of Loyola Jesuit College for providing electricity to the community through a transformer which was recently installed.

He further explained that materials for hand-operated borehole have been supplied to the community by UNICEF but AMAC has not come forward to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the community benefit from the project.

Also speaking, Mr. Forcados Oyebo, who said he hails from Delta State lamented that Gidan Mangoro community has been neglected, saying "now that our population is going to increase with the coming of these people, we appeal to both AMAC and FCTA to provide these facilities urgently".

Abuja

2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Africa; Cities

SOS Children is building a new Village near Abuja. For more information see SOS Children in Abuja, Africa

Abuja, Nigeria
Image:Abuja Nigeria CBD.jpg Abuja, Nigeria.
Phase I and II represents Abuja city on a map of FCT
Coordinates:
Territory	Federal Capital Territory
Government
- Minister	Aliyu Modibbo Umar
Area
- Total	713 km² (275.3 sq mi)
- Land	713 km² (275.3 sq mi)
Population ( 2006)
- Total	778,567
Time zone	WAT ( UTC+1)
Website: http://www.fct.gov.ng/

Aso Rock

Abuja, officially Abuja Municipal Area Council or AMAC, is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja is a "planned" city, as it was mainly built in the 1980s and officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing the role of the previous capital Lagos. As of the 2006 census, the Federal Capital Territoy has a population of 778,567.

Abuja's geography is defined by Aso Rock, a 400-metre monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the town extend to the south of the rock. "Aso" means "victorious" in the language of the (now displaced) Asokoro ("the people of victory").

Other sights include the Nigerian National Mosque and the Nigerian National Christian Centre. The city is served by the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, while Zuma Rock lies nearby. Abuja is known for being the best purpose-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive; however, the population on the semi-developed edges of the city are living in shanty towns such as Karu. Karu, built to house the capital's civil servants and lower income families, has no running water, sanitation or electricity.

History

In light of the ethnic and religious divisions of Nigeria, plans had been devised since Nigeria's independence to have its capital in a location deemed neutral to all parties. The location was eventually designated in the centre of the country in the early 1970s as it signified neutrality and national unity. Another impetus for Abuja came because of Lagos's population boom, that made that city overcrowded and conditions squalid. The logic used was similar to Brazil building its capital Brasília.

Construction broke ground and was dedicated in the late 1970s, but due to economic and political instability, the city in its initial stages was not complete until the late 1980s.

The master plan for Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory was developed by IPA (International Planning Associates), a consortium made up of three American firms: PRC Corporation; Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd; and, Archisystems, which was a division of the Hughes Organization. The master plan for Abuja defined the general shape and major design elements of the city, however a refinement of this design was accomplished by Kenzo Tange, a renowned Japanese architect, along with his team of city planners at Kenzo Tange and Urtec company.

Most countries moved their embassies to Abuja and maintain their larger former embassies as consulates in the commercial capital, Lagos.

In addition to a major governmental centre, Abuja is the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS, as well as its Military arm, ECOMOG. It also has the regional headquarters of OPEC.

Abuja and the FCT have experienced a huge population growth; it has been reported that some areas around Abuja have been growing at 20 – 30%. Squatter settlements and shanty towns have spread rapidly in and outside the city limits. Tens of thousands of people have been evicted since former FCT Minister Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai started a demolition campaign in 2003.

Districts

5 Districts of Abuja

National Assembly building in Abuja

The city is divided into five (5) districts of the Phase1. They are Central, Garki, Wuse, Maitama, and Asokoro. There are also five districts of the phase2; these are Kado, Durumi, Gudu, Utako and Jabi. Phase 3 Districts are: Mabuchi, Katampe, Wuye and Gwarimpa. There are also five suburban districts, which are Nyanya, Karu, Gwagwalada, Kubwa, and Jukwoyi. Along the Airport Road are clusters of satellite settlements these are namely: Lugbe, Chika, Kuchigworo and Pyakassa. Other satellite settlements are Idu (The Main Industrial Zone), Mpape, Karimu, Gwagwa, Dei-Dei (housing the International Livestock market and also International Building materials market).

Central District

Abuja's Central District is located between the foot of Aso Rock and into the Three Arms Zone to the southern base of the ring road. It is like the city's spinal cord, dividing it into the northern sector with Maitama and Wuse, and the southern sector with Garki and Asokoro. While each district has its own clearly demarcated commercial and residential sectors, the Central District is the city's principal Business Zone, where practically all parastatals and multinational corporations have their offices located. An attractive area in the Central District is the region known as the Three Arms Zone, so called because it houses the administrative offices of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of the Federal Government. A few of the other sites worth seeing in the area are the Federal Secretariats alongside Shehu Shagari way, Aso Hill, the Abuja Plant Nursery, Eagle Square(which has important historic significance,as it was in this grounds that the present democratic dispensation had its origin in May 29th,1999) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier across the road facing it. The Brigade of Guards organises a twenty-four watch at the spot and they have a colourful ceremonial change of guard. The National Mosque and National Church are located opposite each other on either side of Independence Avenue. Buildings such as the National Assembly building in Abuja, Eagle Square, and Aso rock, the presidential villa, are situated in Abuja. Another well known government office is the Ministry of Defence, popularly nicknamed ship house.

Garki District

The Garki District is the area in the southwest corner of the city, having the Central District to the north and the Asokoro District to the east. The District is Sub-divided into units called Areas. In fact,the naming system is such that when you hear the word "Area" it refers to Garki,hence,these are designated Areas 1-11. We also have Garki II which is a different area from Garki Area 2. Most visitors may find this confusing.

At present it is the principal business district of Abuja. There are some interesting buildings, which include the General Post Office, Abuja International Conference Centre located along the busy Herbert Maculay Way, Nicon Luxary Hotel(which was originally called Abuja Sofitel Hotel,then later Le Meridian Hotel) Agura Hotel, the Old Federal Secretariat Complex(Area1), Area 2 is mainly residential, there is a zoological garden at Area2, Garki Shopping centre, several bank buildings and other commercial offices located in Area 7 and most of them along Moshood Abiola Way. The Headquarters of the Nigerian Armed Forces namely; Army Headquarters, Airforce Headquarters and Navy Headquarters are all located in Garki District. The tallest building in this district is the Radio House, which houses the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Stations and Corporate Headquarters are also in Garki. The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) which is directly responsible for the Administration of the Federal Capital Territory has it operational base in Garki. The Office of the Federal Minister in Charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has his office located in Area 10. Other places of note include, the Arts and Culture Centre, The Nigerian Police Mobile Force Headquarters (Area 10). The Abuja Municipal Area Council, which is the local Government administration has its headquarters in Area 10, Garki Abuja.

Wuse District

Wuse District is the northwestern part of the city, with the Maitama District to its north and the Central District to its south. The District is numbered Zones 1-8. The Wuse Market is Abuja's principal market (Zone 5). The second most important Post Office in the city is located here. This district also houses the Sheraton Hotel and Towers (Zone 4), Ibro International hotel, the Foreign Affairs Ministry Headquarters (Zone 1) and Nigerian Customs Services Headquarters, Corporate Affairs Commission (Zone 5), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Agency For Food And Drugs Administration (NAFDAC) (Zone 7), Wuse General Hospital, and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation. Just like Garki District has Garki II, Wuse has Wuse II. This is distinct from Wuse Zone 2. The new United States Embassy is also located in this district.

Maitama District

Maitama District is to the north of the city, with the Wuse and Central Districts lying to its southwest and southeast respectively. This area is home to the top bracket sections of society and business, and has the reputation of being very exclusive and also very expensive. Interesting buildings include the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, National Communications Commission Headquarters (NCC), National Universities Commission(NUC), Soil Conservation Complex, and Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). The British High Commission is located along Aguiyi Ironsi Way, in Maitama. Also, the Maitama District Hospital is equally of great note.

Maitama District is home to many European embassies in Nigeria.

Asokoro District

Asokoro District, the doyen of all the district houses all the states lodges/guest houses and the famous ECOWAS secretariat is the focal point of interest. It is located to the east of Garki district and south of Central district. Asokoro is one of the most exclusive districts of Abuja and houses virtually all the federal cabinet ministers of the country; in addition, the Presidential Palace (Aso Rock) is also located in the district and hence Asokoro is by virtue the most secured area of the city.

Gwarimpa is the last district located in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. It contains the largest Single Housing Estate in Nigeria called the Gwarimpa Housing Estate. The Estate was built by the Administration of General Sani Abacha, and is the largest of its kind in Africa. It provides residence for the majority of the civil servants in Federal Minitries and government parastals. Even the ECOWAS Court has an official Quarters for the President and Members of the Court in Gwarimpa.

Weather and climate

Abuja National Mosque. Photo taken during Harmattan.

The FCT experiences three weather conditions annually. This includes a warm, humid rainy season and a blistering dry season. In between the two seasons, there is a brief interlude of harmattan occasioned by the North East Trade Wind, with the main feature of dust haze, intensified coldness and dryness. The rainy season begins from April and ends in October, when daytime temperatures reach 28-30 degrees and nighttime lows hover around 22-23 degrees. In the dry season, daytime temperatures can soar as high as 40 degrees and nighttime temperatures can dip to 12 degrees, resulting in chilly evenings. Even the chilliest nights can be followed by daytime temperatures well above 30 degrees. The high altitudes and undulating terrain of the FCT act as moderating influence on the weather of the territory. Rainfall in the FCT reflects the territory's location on the windward side of the Jos Plateau and the zone of rising air masses. The annual total rainfall is in the range of 1100mm to 1600mm.

Vegetation

The area now designated the Federal Capital Territory falls within the Savannah Zone vegetation of the West African sub-region. Patches of rain forest, however, occur in the Gwagwa plains, especially in the gullied train to the south and the rugged south-eastern parts of the territory. These areas of the FCT form one of the surviving occurrences of the mature forest vegetation in Nigeria. The dominant vegetation of the Territory is, however, classified into three savannah types.

The Park or Grassy Savannah

This is about 53 percent (i.e. 4,231 square km) of the total area of the FCT. Vegetation occurs annually and tree species found include; Albizia, Zygia, Butyrospernum paradoxum, Anniellia, Oliveri and Parkia Clappertoniana.

The Savannah Woodland

This region covers 12.8 percent of 1,026 square km of the territory. It occurs mostly on the Gurara, Robo and Rubochi plains and surrounding hills. Common trees found in this region include; afzelia, africana anogeissus, leiocarpus, butyroscarpus paradoxim, daniella oliveri, khaya senegalensis, prosopis africana, uapaca togoensis, albizia, zygia, vitex doniant, bombox costatum and ptrecarpus erinaceus.

The Shrub Savannah

This class of vegetation occurs extensively in rough terrain close to hills and ridges in all parts of the territory. It covers about 12.9 percent or 1,031 square km of the land area. Tree species found in it include: antiaris africana, anthocleista nobils, ceiba pentandra, cola gigantean, celtis spp, Chorophora excels (iroko), khaya grandifolia (Benin Mahogany) terminalia superb (afara), triplochiton scleroxylon and dracacna arborea. Certain tree species normally associated with other parts of the rain forest in the south of Nigeria are also found in some of the forest patches, e.g. piptadeniatrum africanum (agboin), lophira alata (ekki) and terminalia ivorensis (idigbo).

Apart from the rain forest elements, some dominant tree species of the savannah wood lands yield high quality timber, e.g. Anogeissus leiocarpus, daneilla oliveri, khaya senegalensis and pterocarpus arenaceous.

Transportation

Abuja International Airport is the only airport in Abuja. The airport with an international and local terminal is under going serious upgrades in order to make it ready to host an event such as the Commonwealth games. Abuja also has a running and efficient BRT and green cab system. Construction is underway for an LRT system for the city. Abuja does not as yet have a connection to the national railway network of Nigeria.

2014 Commonwealth Games

Abuja stadium interior

Abuja was bidding head to head with Glasgow, Scotland to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014. If successful Abuja would have become the first African city to host the event. However, Glasgow was declared the winning city. Former Nigerian military ruler and now head of Nigeria's bid team, General Yakubu Gowon, called for all Nigerians to support the games for the "glory of Nigeria". He suggested Nigeria would be a prime location for the games because of its unity, serenity, topography and availability of standard sporting facilities. Abuja recently hosted the All-Africa Games, The African regional version of the Olympics, for which it constructed an Olympic style stadium and games village. It was a successful tournament with more than 7,000 athletes.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games would have been an integral part of national celebration plans for Nigeria's centenary.

The Abuja bid received support from African commonwealth members as well as Australia, in what would have been the largest multi-sport event to be held thus far on the continent.

Abuja airport was planned to be modernised to cater for the capacity of the influx due to the games. This was intended to further boost their bid to host the games. A light rail transit system was also to feature in the new Abuja getting ready for the 2014 Abuja Commonwealth games. The Abuja Masterplan, a city plan including high rise buildings, artificial lakes, and tourist resorts such as Heritage city, a huge roller coaster resort, will be featured in Abuja by 2014.

Places of interest

General landmarks

Abuja City Gate

Ship House, Navy Headquarters

Headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Abuja, Nigeria

Millennium Park

• Central Bank of Nigeria headquarters
• Ship house, Ministry of Defence building
• Aso Rock, official residence of the President of Nigeria
• Zuma Rock
• NNPC towers
• Abuja International Conference Centre African Hall
• Gurara Falls
• Eagle Square
• National Assembly building in Abuja
• Central District
• Nigerian Communications Commission building
• Maitama District home of the embassies
• National Library
• National Mosque
• National Ecumenical Centre (National Church)
• Abuja Stadium
• The Velodrome
• Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport
• Strabag Hills
• Usuma Dam
• Usuma River
• Jabi River
• Gurara River
• Abuja Love Garden
• Abuja Amusement Park
• Abuja Zoological Park
• IBB Golf Centre
• Ecowas Secretariat
• National Women Development Centre
• Ushafa Pottery Centre
• Ladi Kwali Pottery Centre
• Giri Pottery Centre
• Millennium park

Malls and shopping centres

• Ceddi Plaza
• Downtown Mall, Abuja (U/C)
• Silverbird Galleria Abuja (U/C)

Leisure centres

• Maitama Amusement Park
• Wonderland Amusement Park

Sister Cities

Brasília, Brazil.

Parks and open areas

Abuja is home several parks and green areas with the largest one being Millennium park. Millennium Park was designed by world renowned architect Manfredi Nicoletti and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II of England.

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