The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Monday fumed over the allocation of land meant for a bus terminal in the Central Business District, Abuja.
Wike disclosed this at the inauguration of the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, in Abuja, and described the action as a gross distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.
The minister explained that the FCT Administration decided to build three terminals, one each in the Central Business District, Mabushi, and Kugbo, to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters in the territory.
Wike, however, said that the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, where a train track was expected to pass through, had been allocated to somebody.
“When we went there to start preparation for the inauguration project last Tuesday, I received a text that I had taken somebody’s land, and I was surprised.
“In fact, in that text message, the person said, ‘After his sacrifices and inputs to the party, is this what he will suffer?”.
“When I inquired, we found out that the place has been given out and a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) has been signed; even a consent judgement has been entered between FCTA and the person,” he said.
He clarified that, pending the resolution of the issue, the inauguration of the terminal project should take place at the Mabushi location.
The minister noted that leadership was all about taking decisions, noting that in taking decisions, not everybody would be happy, but a decision must be taken.
“This is just to let people know some of the things we face and how the Master Plan of the FCT has been distorted.
“When you want to make a decision, so many people will be angry, and when you are complaining, they won’t come with sincere facts; they will come with distorted facts,” he said.
The minister added that Abuja was supposed to be one of the best cities in the world but lacked the necessary infrastructure to be a first-class city.
Wike particularly pointed out that a city like Abuja does not have bus and taxi terminals, thereby forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road and taxis all over the place.
This, he believes, contributes to the level of insecurity in the territory, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal elements.
Wike explained that the construction of bus and taxi terminals was part of efforts to reduce the level of insecurity under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“To reduce insecurity, we made a proposal to the National Assembly explaining that part of the security problem we are facing is because we have not been able to know who the people operating taxis and buses in FCT are and where they are loading from.
“One of the things that people don’t understand about the Renewed Hope Agenda is that it is not just about human capital development; it is also about the empowerment of our people,” he said.
