On Monday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, expressed outrage over the allocation of land intended for a bus terminal in the Central Business District of Abuja to a politician.
During the inauguration of the construction of the Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, Wike criticized this allocation as a significant distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.
He explained that the FCT Administration had planned to build three terminals in the Central Business District, Mabushi, and Kugbo to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters.
However, the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, which was supposed to accommodate a train track, had been allocated to an individual.
Wike recounted, “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?’”
Upon investigation, Wike discovered that the land had been allocated and a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) had been signed, with a consent judgment already entered between the FCTA and the individual.
Consequently, he redirected the inauguration of the terminal project to the Mabushi location until the issue could be resolved.
Wike emphasized that leadership involves making decisions that may not please everyone, but decisions must still be made.
He pointed out the challenges of maintaining the integrity of the Abuja Master Plan amid such distortions and emphasized the need for sincere facts when addressing complaints.
Highlighting the inadequacy of infrastructure in Abuja, Wike noted that the city lacks proper bus and taxi terminals, forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road.
This situation contributes to insecurity, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal activities.
He explained that constructing bus and taxi terminals is part of the efforts under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to reduce insecurity.
“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 empowerment of our people,” Wike said.
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