Why I retained Mohammed Bello as FCT minister – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said he deliberately appointed Mohammed Bello as FCT minister and refused to deploy him because of his good character.

The president spoke when he received the leadership of the FCT and representatives of the FCT Community who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, commended Bello for showing transparency, honesty, and integrity in managing the affairs of the nation’s capital.

He added that the minister had proven to be a better manager of human and financial resources.

The president was reacting to a remark by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Smart Adeyemi, who described Bello as the most transparent and honest minister in the history of the FCT.

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President Buhari said he was not surprised to hear such comments about the minister and thanked Bello for not disappointing him.

He said: “The minister has restored sanity to the allocation of plots in the FCT. People were used to selling allocated plots instead of developing them as stipulated by the FCT laws.

“Others also apply for land only for them to resale and get quick money for marrying additional wives.”

The president thanked Nigerians for giving him the opportunity to serve as their leader.

He told the delegation that during the campaign for the 2003 elections, he visited the 774 local government areas in the country and got overwhelming support from the people.

Buhari revealed that he would retire to his hometown in Daura, Katsina State, at the end of his tenure in May 2023.

He added: “Thank you very much for taking the time to come and visit me and I congratulate you on this great day (Christmas).

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“I have promised a lot of my colleagues that I will try to be as far away as possible from Abuja when I leave office.

“I will be in Daura, which is on the border. Nobody can create any problem for me with the Niger Republic and I think in spite of technology, I will be safe enough there.

“In five months’ time, I will happily retire according to the provisions of the constitution of the country and go back home.”