Wike Begins Rehabilitation of 19 FCT Schools, Pays N280m Scholarship To 13,000 Students
By: Wisdom Acka
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has flagged-off the rehabilitation of 19 FCT owned schools across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Wike, who performed the exercise at the FCT School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada, Thursday, stated that the current FCT Administration was not just concentrating on the provision of access to education, but would ensure the provision of quality education by providing conducive teaching and learning environment for all students and teachers in the Territory.
The Minister disclosed that funding for the rehabilitation project would be sourced from the 2023 supplementary budget; adding that an additional 20 schools will also benefit from the initiative through the “whole-school rehabilitation approach” under the 2024 supplementary budget.
Abuja Digest recalls that the FCT Administration had in January, 2024, announced that it would commit the sum of N13.1 billion to the renovation and rehabilitation of 40 schools, under the accelerated whole-school rehabilitation approach.
The approach was designed to rehabilitate the entire school infrastructure and facilities, including toilets, hostels, dining and the provision of furniture and water.
Wike said: “Today we are here to flag-off the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 19 schools. These 19 schools funds will be from the Supplementary budget of 2023. I want to assure you that for 2024 Budget, we are also going to select another 20 schools for rehabilitation and reconstruction.”
“As the Minister of State said, education is key to every development. It’s the mandate of Mr. President that we must not only sponsor education, we must also take health. I can assure you that now that the budget has been passed, we will come back to Gwagwalada for the General Hospital and make sure you are given the best,” he said.
“Let me assure the contractors that nobody will be owed. I made sure that before I left the office, I had made sure your mobilisation was sent to the bank. I have told the Treasury Department that woe be anybody who sabotages the effort of this present government led by President Tinubu,” the Minister stressed.
Earlier, the Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, while appreciating the FCT Minister for his doggedness in achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, noted that the Minister has been to Gwagwalada Area Council thrice, this year alone, to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
Mahmoud said the current Administration was bent on improving infrastructure development so the team would be back to provide infrastructural development in the health sector.
“We will soon be back to Gwagwalada to deliver infrastructural development in the health sector”, she said.
Mandate Secretary for Education, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, on his part, stated that the rehabilitation work was an indication that the Administration was not only focused on construction of roads, but also investing in the future generation through education.
He recalled that the Minister recently approved over N280million scholarship to 13,946 indigent students in the FCT.
Abuja Digest reports that all the 19 contractors had already taken over their sites and work commenced across the 19 schools pencilled down in the first phase of the accelerated whole-school rehabilitation project.
