By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, made a startling revelation about the deliberate distortion of the Abuja Master Plan by some powerful politicians in the country.
The minister who disclosed this during the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, disclosed that some heavyweight politicians have converted public plots for their personal use.
He revealed that the plot meant for the construction of a bus terminal at the Central Business District, had been reallocated to a private individual, with a Certificate of Occupancy and a consent judgement, to prevent the FCT Administration from recovering the land.
Wike, who didn’t disclose the identity of the allotee, said the individual who is a party member had objected the plan to reclaim the plot, saying he had paid his dues in the party and deserved to keep the said plot.
He explained that the FCT Administration had 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.
However, 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.
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 further decried the situation where a modern city like Abuja lacked basic infrastructure like bus terminals, stressing that the absence of the terminals contributes to the menace of one-chance robbery and other crimes in the FCT.
You will see taxis all over the place and that of course, is part of our insecurity problems. So many people talk about one-chance , why won’t there be one-chance when you don’t even know the man whose bus or taxi you are entering?
“So, under the Renewed Hope Agenda and in other to reduce the level of insecurity, we made a proposal and we said part of the problems we are having is because we don’t know who are these people who are plying these buses and taxis, and where they load from.
“And so, we decided we must start with three bus terminals. One each in the Central Business district, Mabushi, and Kugbo.
Meanwhile, flagging off the project, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, said the flag-off ceremony represents more than the construction of a bus terminal, as it exemplifies the remarkable outcomes that come from the fusion of vision, leadership, and collaboration.
He said, “The National Assembly, as the legislature of the FCT, stands ready to support the Minister by enacting favourable legislations, ensuring adequate funding, and providing oversight to ensure that projects are completed on time and to the highest standards”.
The bus terminal component of the Abuja public transportation project is designed to provide terminal infrastructures for the safety, security, convenience and good travel experience for the commuters.
Some of the components of the project include; terminal building, waiting area, ticketing booth, bus and taxi parks, convenience, loading bay, public address system, CCTV, lift/elevator, street lighting, fuel dump and station operations, among other features.
