The Federal Government on Thursday assured newly created Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of land allocation to build their permanent structures to address issues of office accommodation.
Mr Zaphaniah Jisalo, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, said this while addressing newsmen when he visited the management and staff of Nigerian National Merit Award (NNMA) in Abuja. The visit was the third familiarisation tour by the minister to agencies under his ministry.
Speaking on lack of permanent office complexes for two of the agencies under his ministry, Jisalo said the challenge was not peculiar to them only but most newly created agencies and ministries. “We are going to address this issue as it is not peculiar to my ministry but it is an issue affecting most agencies. Some of these problems are because at the time Abuja was created, some newly established agencies were not captured in land allocation nor was there provision in the law for them.
“We assure that government will provide land for newly established MDAs to have their own complexes. I have advised all agencies under my ministry to apply for land. I am going to facilitate it, to make sure that we have land to build the complex for the agencies, “ he said.
The minister also used the medium to assure the agencies that he would address other challenges bothering on paucity of funds, low budget allocations among others, by involving the National Assembly to address their plights.
Welcoming the minister, the Acting Executive Secretary of NNMA, Mrs Mercy Moroa, said the entire management and staff were excited to have the minister in their midst, saying that it was a refreshing moment.
Speaking on the agency’s mandates, Moroa said the working environment was highly conducive, adding that members of staff were hardworking and resilient, but faced with other challenges.
“Sir, like most bodies, the NNMA is not without its own challenges. A number of activities have also been ascribed to NNMA and approved by the late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, but remain in the pipeline for implementation till date.
“One of these includes the establishment of the NNMA Policy Group, as a Think-Tank for Mr President and other policy authorities to constantly draw from the wealth of knowledge.
According to her, the protracted delay in establishing this group rubs presidents and other policy makers the utility of the cream of intellectuals upon which to anchor the economic, technological and social progress of the country.
She added that the delay had also denied them of their benefits to contribute their own quota to the Nigerian project.
She, therefore, appealed to the minister to use his wealth of experience to work towards such project as it could go a long way to project the true image of the agency. (NAN)
