FCTA begins land swap model

Senator Bala Mohammed
FCT Minister

FCTA begins land swap model
By Edwin Akwueh, Abuja

The Nigerian government is adopting a new strategy known as Land swap model, aimed at facilitating the rapid provision of adequate accommodation for all Nigerians interested in living within Abuja, Federal Capital Territory Administration-FCTA said.

The FCT minister Senator Bala Mohammed revealed this in a goodwill message to the 19th annual General meeting of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations-NIPR, capital chapter, Abuja.

Influx
The minister, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Communication and Strategy, Jamila Dangaza, said the Nigerian government has approved the development of additional ten districts to accommodate the influx of people in the capital city and lower the cost of rents.

The land swap model according to the Minister enables government to give land to private property developers in exchange for the provision of some social amenities where mass houses are being developed.

“Our theme for this year’s AGM is very crucial because of the current security challenges facing us as a people and it is in line with this that the FCTA is happy to collaborate with all stakeholders including the NIPR, to ensure that Abuja is decent and comfortable for everybody. As part of the expansion programme of the capital city, we in the FCT are pursuing vigorously our mandate to develop at least ten new districts before the end of this administration in 2015,” he said.

The role of PR
The theme of the 19th AGM of the NIPR capital chapter is “the role of the Public Relations in fostering national unity and chairman of the chapter”.

“Public Relations we believe strongly thrieves on responsible performance and transparency, of course NIPR for what we represent is committed to achieving this goal by setting a road map to regulate the activities of practitioners. Why you feel that some people use PR for telling lies is because we are in a society where there are lots of quarks operating as PR practioners and with such people you cannot get the best but for those who fall within the platform of the NIP, we regulate their performance and make sure that what they do is in line with our professional ethics,” Mr. Osondu Ohaeri, a PR practitioner said.

National President of NIPR, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi while advising the Goodluck Jonathan government to show more commitment in the fight against corruption said certain measures have been put in place to check the activities of quarks.

“I want to assure you that very soon we will start enforcing the provisions of Act number 16 of 1990 which mandates the NIPR to regulate the practice of Public Relations by setting the parameters and skills for practitioners. We have given as grace period for practitioners to register themselves with the Institute so in few weeks time our enforcement of the law will begin,” Abdullahi said.

Paper presentation
Three papers were presented at the AGM with focus on information management and national unity, by Professor Femi Adekunle from the University of Abuja. Socio-cultural diversity; the Nigerian experience by the Director General National Orientation Agency Mr. Mike Omeri and professional ethics in Public Relations, presented by Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, a fellow of the Institute.

Some distinguished Nigerians and Institutions received awards of excellent leadership including a post humours award given to the former Group General Manager Public Affairs of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, late Dr. Levi Ajuonuma.

Sammie