Dr Moses Paul, the Chairmanship Candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has criticised the current administration for what he described as a total collapse of governance within the council, citing failures in healthcare, education, and security.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, Dr Paul said the local government in AMAC has failed to deliver on its constitutional responsibilities and no longer functions effectively.
“Even the funds that are there are more than enough if you begin to attend to the issues. The local government in AMAC does not even exist in terms of performance,” he said.
He accused the council of neglecting education and welfare, noting that teachers have not been paid and schools remain in poor condition. “The teachers have not been paid because the local government council currently does not even understand the narrative of conversation regarding education,” he stated.
Dr Paul said his experience and understanding of local governance would help address the systemic decay if elected. “The fact that I’m attending to these issues shows clearly my understanding of what needs to be done at the grassroots level. Education is local. Health is local. Security is local,” he said.
The AMAC chairmanship candidate also expressed concern over rising insecurity and the absence of local government intervention. “There is no local government presence in AMAC right now. The local government does not exist. It’s like being in London and you don’t even know who the mayor of London is,” he said.
He added that he had personally intervened in several cases to rescue kidnap victims. “I have interfaced with terrorists. I have gone into the woods with millions to rescue people who have been kidnapped right here within our borders,” Dr Paul revealed.
Highlighting his contributions to healthcare and community development, Dr Paul said he had brought medical equipment worth thousands of dollars into the country to strengthen health facilities. “About two years ago, I was in Atlanta to gather equipment to revamp the primary health sector within the FCT. I brought in about half a million US dollars worth of medical equipment for some of the senators to distribute here in Abuja,” he said.
He emphasised that his approach to governance would be practical and transparent, tapping into global funding opportunities to tackle local problems. “Talking about funding, there are a lot of portals all over the world where you can plug in. It is about who is sitting on the table,” he said.
Dr Paul also spoke on environmental sanitation, describing the waste situation in AMAC as unacceptable. “The waste management industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. AMAC is very dirty. From Gwarimpa to Gwagwa, it’s unbelievable,” he stated.
Reaffirming his capacity to lead, Dr Paul said his educational background and years of community service prepared him for the task ahead. “I have a PhD in environmental resource planning. I went to primary school right here in Abuja. I’ve been here for nearly about 40 years now,” he said.
He insisted that AMAC needs leadership with vision and competence. “If AMAC is looking for somebody who understands the status quo, who can revamp from education to health, to sanitation, to our local roads, and help our young people reshape their narrative, I’m the right man for the job,” Dr Paul said.
He also clarified that the visit by former presidential candidate Peter Obi to Tungan Nasara Primary School, which he facilitated, was purely humanitarian and not political. “Mr Peter Obi never at any moment, when we went to the primary school, attacked the federal government,” Dr Paul explained. “At no time did he criticise the federal government. He did not even speak about the state. It was actually a reaffirmation of what I said.”
Dr Moses Paul maintained that the failure of leadership in AMAC has left citizens without basic amenities and services. “Healthcare services are broken down without attention. Security, double taxation, confusion everywhere. This is what is going on in the number one council in the country,” he said.
He concluded that with purposeful leadership, AMAC could be repositioned for progress. “It doesn’t matter what political platform you’re running on. If you’re a person of purpose, power and performance, you’ll serve everyone,” he said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
About the Author
