Criminals destroy installed solar panels in Abuja

Senate has lamented the activities of criminals, who reportedly removed some of the newly installed solar panels in the Federal Capital Territory,  FCT. Speaking in Abuja while conducting an inspection of some of the ongoing projects within the city as part of the committee’s oversight function, Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, bemoaned the activities of criminals in the city. He said that  efforts must be made  to secure and maintain all facilities,  including traffic lights, rail tracks, manholes, and power installations among others. Adeyemi tasked  Nigerians to protect public facilities put in place for their benefits, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA  to include security and maintenance components into budget proposals for proposed projects. 

Other projects inspected include, ongoing rehabilitation works at the National Assembly, operations control centre of the Abuja Mass Rail Transit System, the Gosa dump site and landfill, and the Wupa sewage treatment plant, as well as the facilities and equipment of the Department of Development Control. Adeyemi hailed the FCTA Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello for his commitment to the execution of priority projects in the Territory. Responding to the issue of the security of critical infrastructure, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, Shehu Ahmed, said the FCT Security Committee had mandated the FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to ensure the security of such facilities across the FCT.

Meanwhile, FCTA Director, Department of Facility Maintenance, Omoniyi Olaloye explained that the solar street lighting initiative became imperative due to inadequate power supply from the national grid.  Olaloye revealed that over 4000 units of solar powered street lights had been installed so far across the city, promising that more installations would be made. Also present during the oversight project tour were some members of the FCT Senate Committee, Chief of Staff to the Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu; the Secretary for Transportation, Hon Abdullahi Candido;  Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council TPL Umar Shuaibu; Director, Department of Development Control TPL Mukhtar Galadima;  Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Osilama Braimah;  and other senior officials of the FCTA.